Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar.
Credit: X/@mlkhattar
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Khattar was seen riding a Royal Enfield motorbike on his way to the airport on Tuesday, which is a 'car-free day' in Karnal.
Khattar, on September 1, had announced Tuesdays as 'car-free days' in the city. The chief minister made this announcement while addressing a gathering of youth during the flagging-off ceremony of the 'Drug-free Haryana Cyclothon rally'.
In the video that has gone viral, Khattar can be seen riding comfortably on the motorbike. It was later revealed that he did not use the car and instead opted for a motorbike to go to the airport where he was scheduled to board his helicopter.
Khattar himself posted a video of his bike ride and said, Be it “Car Free Day” or the resolve to make “Drug-free Haryana”, it cannot be accomplished without public cooperation."
He further added, "I also made a small effort to reduce car traffic today by travelling to Karnal Airport by bike on “Car Free Day”."
"I hope that the aware people of the state will take this message forward and inspire people to give up their cars 'just for one day'," Khattar said.
Khattar has asked his government officials to try and avoid using cars on Tuesdays. Instead, September 5 was the first time 'car-free day' was observed in Karnal. Government officials had to travel on bicycles. Reports surfaced of Karnal deputy commissioner Anish Yadav walking three kilometres to reach his office.
Karnal has been taking a number of health-centric measures. The message of the aforementioned cyclothon rally, conducted under the 'Drug-Free Haryana' campaign, is poised to resonate throughout the country, safeguarding the lives of the young generation, he had said during the flagging-off ceremony of the event.
"To save our youth from drug addiction, the Haryana government, in collaboration with social and religious organizations, is committed to realizing the vision of a drug-free Haryana," he said.
(With inputs from PTI)