- Hundreds from across the country took part in the hour-long ‘shramdaan’ on Sunday
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah sweeping the streets in Ahmedabad
- Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel says let’s realise concept of clean India
- UP Chief Minister Yogi Adithyanath joined the campaign in Sitapur. BJP chief JP Nadda also took part in the drive in Delhi’s Jhandewalan area.
NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI/AHMEDABAD, OCT 1
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday took part in the cleanliness drive organised as part of the ‘Swachhata Hi Seva’ campaign along with wrestler-turned-fitness influencer Ankit Baiyanpuriya. Heeding the PM’s call, thousands across the country, including Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief J P Naddha, took part in the campaign.
Today, as the nation focuses on Swachhata, Ankit Baiyanpuriya and I did the same! Beyond just cleanliness, we blended fitness and well-being also into the mix. It is all about that Swachh and Swasth Bharat vibe! @baiyanpuria pic.twitter.com/gwn1SgdR2C
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 1, 2023
Sharing a video with Ankit where he was seen yielding the broom, the Prime Minister tweeted: “Today, as the nation focuses on Swachhata, Ankit Baiyanpuriya and I did the same! Beyond just cleanliness, we blended fitness and well-being also into the mix. It is all about that Swachh and Swasth Bharat vibe!”
In the video, Modi was heard asking Ankit how the Swachhata mission would help his fitness. Ankit replies that it was our responsibility to keep our nature clean. “If it remains clean, we will stay fit.” To the Prime Minister’s question on how his home town Sonipat was taking to the campaign, Ankit said “people of Sonipat have started focusing on cleanliness.”
The Prime Minister then asked Ankit about his fitness journey and how much time he dedicated towards the same. Ankit replied it was “4-5 hours”. To this, the PM said: “I don’t do much of physical activities. “I do sufficient physical activities needed to accomplish my day-to-day activities,” Modi added.
In a recent episode of “Mann Ki Baat”, Modi appealed for “one hour of shramdaan for swachhata” on October 1 by all citizens and said it would be a “Swachhanjali” to Mahatma Gandhi on the eve of his birth anniversary.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel participated in a cleanliness drive here on Sunday as part of the nationwide campaign and the CM urged people to join the exercise to realise the concept of a clean India.
On the eve of Gandhi Jayanti, Union minister Shah participated in the drive to clean Ranip bus stop and the surrounding area in Ahmedabad, while CM Patel took part in a cleanliness programme at Laxmangarh Hill in Ghatlodia locality of the city under his assembly constituency.
Ahmedabad Mayor Pratibha Jain, city civic body’s standing committee chairman Devang Dani, local MLAs and corporators joined Shah in the campaign.
CM Patel urged citizens to join the campaign to strengthen the mantra of cleanliness.
In a post on X, Patel said, “Prime Minister Narendrabhai Modi with the mantra of ‘Swachhata Hi Seva’ has called upon the countrymen to donate labour for one hour in cleanliness activities today on October 1, under which I participated in cleanliness work in various areas of my Ghatlodia constituency.” “Tomorrow is Gandhi Jayanti. Today let us all clean the street, neighbourhood, public places with collective labour and pay true tribute to Pujya Bapu. It is also our moral duty to maintain the cleanliness of places. Come, let us all realise the concept of clean India,” he added.
Shah in a post on X on Saturday lauded PM Modi over his call for everyone to undertake cleanliness measures on the eve of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary.
“All of you should increase awareness about cleanliness around you and inspire other people for the same,” he said in the post.
Gujarat assembly speaker Shankar Chaudhary also participated in the drive and said the new generation has made Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for cleanliness their “life mantra”.
To realise Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of cleanliness, the prime minister started the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan which the people have adopted naturally, he said.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adithyanath joined the campaign in Sitapur. BJP chief JP Nadda also took part in the drive in Delhi’s Jhandewalan area.
Cricketers such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma also appealed to the people to come together for “Ek Tareekh, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath” and join the largest citizen-led movement to strengthen the resolve towards cleanliness.
According to the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, more than 9.20 lakh sites across the country have been adopted for the mega drive.
NGOs, market associations, self-help groups, faith groups, trade bodies and private sector companies, among others, volunteered for the “shramdaan” in more than 22,000 market areas, 10,000 water bodies, 7,000 bus stands/toll plazas, 1,000 gaushalas, 300 zoos and wildlife areas and various other locations in rural and urban India, the ministry added.
Among the states, Uttar Pradesh adopted more than a lakh sites for cleanliness drives while Maharashtra will conduct the programme in over 62,000 locations, including beaches, religious places, schools, colleges and water bodies.
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi takes part in beach cleaning activity
Glimpses of #SwachhataHiSeva campaign at Nainarkuppam Fishermen Village, where Governor Ravi joined the students, volunteers, and residents in the Mass Cleaning Drive.#SwachhBharat #GarbageFreeIndia #SHS2023@PMOIndia @HMOIndia @swachhbharat @SwachhBharatGov @PIB_India @ANI pic.twitter.com/1zzYvovvML
— RAJ BHAVAN, TAMIL NADU (@rajbhavan_tn) October 1, 2023
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi participated in the mass beach cleaning activity along with fishermen and students at Nainar Kuppam near Uthandi in Chengalpattu district on Sunday. The event was part of the Swachhata Hi Seva 2023 campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, communication from the Raj Bhavan said.
