like the previous year, this year too Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not disappoint children who were waiting to greet him during the celebrations of 70th Independence Day at Red Fort on Monday.
Soon after concluding his speech from the 17th century monument, the PM went towards children for a while and advised them to focus on ‘Swachchh Bharat’. Breaking away from the close security cover, the PM greeted and shook hands with them.
“It was for the 2nd time, I have met the PM the previous year. When I shook hands with him, he advised us to focus on Swachchh Bharat,” said 14-year-old Zainab from Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya.
Another girl, Kesari, a class VII student who shook hands with the PM for the first time, said, “The PM said we children are pride of the nation and talked on Sawachchh Bharat.”
Aryan, an NCC student said, “I had seen on TV last year how he had reached out to some students. I am feeling quite happy to have greeted him.”
Dressed in yellow and dark blue attire, the children cheered Modi several times during his 90-minute speech.
The loudest of it came when the PM referred to India’s “human” reaction to Peshawar School attack and said “each of India’s school cried that day”. Nearly 150 students were killed in the December 2014 terrorist attack at Army Public School in the Pakistan city.