Chief Minister Khattar was on his way to Karnal airport
Residents of Karnal were in for a surprise when they saw Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar cruise through the roads on a Royal Enfield bike this morning. The Chief Minister was followed by his retinue and security detail, also on bikes.
The Chief Minister was on his way to Karnal airport from where he boarded a helicopter to Amritsar. Mr Khattar is due to attend the Northern Zonal Council's meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah in Amritsar later today.
A video shared by Mr Khattar on X, formerly Twitter, shows him riding the bike and his retinue following him. The 69-year-old Chief Minister is seen wearing a crash helmet and riding confidently as he negotiates roundabouts and sharp turns. Karnal is the home constituency of Chief Minister Khattar.
Behind the Chief Minister's bike ride decision is his recent announcement to observe Tuesdays as "car-free day" in Karnal. All government officials in Karnal have been asked to avoid using cars on Tuesdays.
"Whether it is 'car-free day' or 'addiction-free Haryana', no goal can be reached without public support. By travelling to the airport on a bike on 'car-free day', I made a little effort to reduce traffic. I hope the aware public of the state will spread this message and encourage people to give up cars for just one day in a week," the Chief Minister said in a post in Hindi.
The Haryana Chief Minister was recently seen riding a bicycle during a cyclothon organised by his government as part of an anti-drugs campaign. The cyclothon traversed the 22 districts of Haryana within 25 days.
Yamunanagar (Haryana) , September 25 : Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday flagged off a cyclothon in Haryana's Yamunanagar to promote the initiative of 'drug-free Haryana'.
The campaign titled 'Cyclothon for a Drug-Free Haryana' witnessed the first cyclothon on September 1 and today (September 25) is the culmination of the anti-drug campaign.
Visuals from the Yamunanagar cyclothon showed a large number of cyclists taking part in the event as a measure to spread awareness about the menace of drug abuse.
With the message of drug-free Haryana, the cyclothon has traversed all 22 districts of the state in a period of 25 days.
Khattar had earlier announced that every Tuesday in Karnal would be a 'car-free day' where all government officials would travel by bicycle only.
The Haryana Chief Minister had said that the youth will have to be taken forward in a positive direction.
He also said that his government is working for a drug-free society in the state in cooperation with NGOs and other organisations.