All Delhi government offices will only have portraits of B.R. Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh and no longer have photos of politicians, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Tuesday.
“We are celebrating Republic Day. This occasion is synonymous with celebrating our freedom fighters. Dr. Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh have inspired and impacted my thoughts the most,” Mr. Kejriwal said while leading the Republic Day celebrations at Delhi Secretariat.
Talking about COVID-related restrictions, Mr. Kejriwal said the country had seen three waves, but Delhi had seen five. Delhiites, he said, had faced the worst of the pandemic. The virus did not originate in India and came from abroad. Most international flights land in Delhi. Whenever a new variant comes from abroad, it hits the Capital first.
“No State has faced what Delhi has. But in our true spirit, we the people of Delhi, our doctors, our officers, our COVID warriors, we came together and fought it resiliently. Today we stand together in the face of the fifth wave,” he said.
“Omicron spreads rapidly but is assessed to be mild. The curb of the spread can be credited to the variant being mild, and our vaccination programme held at a war footing. It is because of our medical fraternity that 100% of Delhiites have been vaccinated with one dose and 82% with both doses,” he added.
The government had to take tough decisions and implement curbs which have impacted the economy, he said. The government, he said, understood how difficult things became due to this and how it affected livelihoods. “I request everyone to keep faith in us and understand that we impose only the most necessary restrictions. We don’t want anyone to suffer,” he said.
“We don’t want to hurt the economy. Protecting lives is paramount, ensuring public health is paramount. We have to impose restrictions to protect our citizens,” he said. Mr. Kejriwal also urged people not to harbour any resentment against L-G Anil Baijal, especially after he deferred a government government proposal to lift all current curbs.
