Bhagat Singh's dreams still not fulfilled: Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said that great freedom fighter Bhagat Singh's "dreams were not yet fulfilled" and a lot needed to be done in this respect.

"Bhagat Singh's martyrdom and thoughts inspire us even today. However, his dreams are not even 10 per cent fulfilled. We still have to do a lot to fulfill his dreams," he said while releasing a book here titled "Bhagat Singh's Jail Notebook: Its context and relevance".

Kejriwal also said he would urge Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia to make the book available in all the libraries across the national capital so that "his (Bhagat Singh's) thoughts reach as many people as it can".

In an indirect attack on the central government, Kejriwal said that his fight against corruption had increased manifold since forming the government in Delhi.

"When we started the anti-corruption movement, the entire country was united. However, ever since we have formed the government, our struggle has increased ten times because we cracked down on corruption," he said.

"Had we worked like the previous governments in Delhi, there wouldn't have been so many problems for us. But this government has zero tolerance for corruption. I sacked my own minister on corruption charges," he added, referring to Environment and Food Minister Asim Ahmed Khan who was removed in October 2015 for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 6 lakh from a builder.

The book's editor, Chandigarh-based publisher Harish Jain said that the main intention behind this work was to make Bhagat Singh's world of books spirited and vibrant for the reader.

"It is a book about books from where Bhagat Singh mentioned the quotes in his jail notebook. We want bring the great martyr's intellectual side to the fore," Jain said.

This book is the fifth volume of a book series on Punjab and freedom movement. The event also witnessed a panel discussion on the book by experts like veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar andDelhi University historian Sumail Singh Sidhu along with Jain.

--IANS

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