Our schemes not freebies, but efforts to make India number 1: Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Saturday said his government's schemes for free education, healthcare and electricity were not "freebies" but efforts to lay the foundation for making India the number one country in the world.

He said education and health services will be free for all in the country if, by God's will, he is in a position to do so.

His remarks came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day cautioned people against what he called was a "revadi culture" of offering freebies for winning votes.

Without naming anyone, Kejriwal said, "I will tell you who is distributing 'Revadis' and giving freebies. This waiving of friends' loans worth thousands of crores and getting contracts worth thousands of crores from foreign tours for friends are giving freebies."

The prime minister used 'revadi', a popular north Indian sweet often distributed during festivals, as a metaphor for freebies being promised by various parties in their attempts to win power and said the people, especially the youth should guard against this.

"Through Farishtey scheme we saved 13,000 lives with timely free treatment to injured people in accidents. Ask their families, if Kejriwal is distributing "Revadis" or doing a virtuous thing," the Delhi chief minister told a press conference.

He said two kinds of politics -- one of honesty and the other of corruption -- were being practised in the country today.

A sound foundation for making India the number one country in the world needs to be laid by giving good education and health services to all, he said.