By: Express News ServiceNew Delhi | November 2, 2025 05:10 AM IST 3 min readL-G V K Saxena, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Minister Ashish Sood during the event at Red Fort (PTI Photo)The BJP-led government in Delhi hosted a grand ceremony at the Red Fort on Sunday to celebrate the 69th Foundation Day of the Capital.The ceremony, titled ‘Meri Dilli, Mera Desh’, was attended by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena, Education Minister Ashish Sood, Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra, and Chief Secretary Rajeev Verma.Speaking at the event, Gupta said Delhi’s history symbolises resilience, reconstruction, and inner strength. She added that throughout its long history, Delhi has faced numerous challenges and invasions, fallen many times, yet has always risen stronger. “The ancient walls of the Red Fort have witnessed Delhi’s rise, fall, and rebirth,” said the CM.Gupta urged Delhiites to come together to take the Capital to new heights of development.“Every day, thousands of people come to Delhi with hopes and dreams… and this city carries the aspirations of over two crore people. I congratulate everyone today on Foundation Day. Delhi is home to people from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, South India to the North East… While we will always cherish love and respect for our native states, we must also remember that Delhi is ours, and so is this nation. That is the sentiment behind the name ‘Meri Dilli, Mera Desh’,” she said.Addressing the criticism surrounding her government celebrating Chhath Puja, the CM said, “Some people were saying that this year the government celebrated a grand Chhath Puja because of Bihar elections… Delhi is a city and home to people from across the states… The Delhi government will celebrate all festivals of different states in a big and grand manner.”She added that Delhi must move forward, leaving behind its past hardships – whether it is cleaning the Yamuna, controlling pollution, increasing greenery, or improving roads, drains, and the city’s infrastructure. Progress and reform in every sector are the government’s priorities, said the CM.Story continues below this adGupta further said that her vision is to make Delhi a developed, clean, and strong capital city befitting the nation.Appealing to the people to play an active role in making Delhi clean, green, and beautiful, she said, “We are all members of one large family. If every person does just one small deed each day for the nation — whether it is keeping the city clean, planting trees, following rules, or helping someone in need — our country will move 1.4 billion steps forward every single day.”Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she added, “As Modi ji often says, if every citizen performs even one act of service to the nation daily, India will continue to progress rapidly. We must embrace this spirit.”The programme was attended by several people, including students. It featured a light and sound show, along with multi-cuisine food stalls representing different states.Story continues below this adDelhi attained Union Territory status on November 1, 1956, following the reorganisation of Indian states.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd