New Delhi, Oct 1: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday pitched for blending fitness and well-being with cleanliness as he led a nationwide cleanliness drive in which thousands of people participated in an hour-long “shramdaan” across the country.
Wielding a broom, PM Modi took part in the drive along with fitness influencer Ankit Baiyanpuriya.
Sharing a 4-minute video on his official X account, Modi posted, “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!”.
People from all walks of life, from politicians to students, wielded brooms and took part in the ‘Swachhata hi Seva’ campaign, in response to the prime minister’s appeal the cleanliness drive.
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.
In a recent episode of “Mann Ki Baat”, Modi appealed for “one hour of shramdaan (or voluntary labour) 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. Wielding a broom, Union Home Minister Amit Shah participated in a cleanliness drive in Ahmedabad. BJP chief JP Nadda also took part in the drive in Delhi’s Jhandewalan area. Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath participated in cleanliness drive ‘Swachhata Pakhwada’ in Sitapur.
Taking part in the “shramdaan (voluntary labour)”, Union Power Minister RK Singh told reporters, “We (Centre) have taken a resolve to make the country clean. It is a big challenge but we will do it.” Union ministers and BJP leaders across the country grabbed brooms and took part in the ‘Swachhata hi Seva’ campaign.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel participated in a cleanliness drive in Ahmedabad. BJP MP Dinesh Sharma, who also took part in a clean drive, said “swachhata (cleanliness)” has become the face of the country.
Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari took volunteered for a cleanliness activity in New Delhi. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi said it held cleanliness drives at 500 locations across the national capital. Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, urging people to join the drive, said in a post on X, “Come, let’s create a new history! At 10 am today, let’s volunteer for an hour, paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi through cleanliness.” “Scan or visit local cleanliness programmes to join. Dream of a #GarbageFreeIndia Together, we’ll make it happen,” he said.
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. (PTI)
