New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitched for blending fitness and well-being with cleanliness, as he led a nationwide cleanliness drive as part of the ‘Swachhata Hi Seva’ on the eve of Gandhi Jayanti on Sunday.
Wielding a broom, the Prime Minister took part in an hour-long “shramdaan” along with fitness influencer Ankit Baiyanpuriya.
We are on WhatsApp now. Click to join.
In a four-minute video on X, formerly Twitter, Modi said: “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!” Swachh Bharat mission LIVE
In a recent episode of his monthly radio broadcast Mann ki Baat, the Prime Minister had appealed for “one hour of shramdaan for swachhata” on October 1 by all citizens, saying it would be a “swachhanjali” to Mahatma Gandhi on the eve of his birth anniversary.
Also Read: What is the ‘75-day challenge’ of Ankit Baiyanpuria that PM Modi discussed with him?
According to the Union housing and urban affairs ministry, more than 920,000 sites across the country were adopted for the mega drive.
People from all walks of life participated in the campaign. Several Union ministers, including Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, R K Singh, Dharmendra Pradhan, Piyush Goyal and Hardeep Singh Puri, participated in the mega drive.
While Shah took part in the campaign in Ahmedabad, BJP chief J P Nadda participated in it in Delhi’s Jhandewalan area.
“Modi ji has made many problems of the society a mass movement, in which cleanliness ranks the first. By infusing ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ with the power of public participation, Modi ji has implemented Gandhi ji’s mantra of ‘cleanliness is service’. With his inspiration, every Indian is making an important contribution in the development of the country by making cleanliness an integral part of the lifestyle,” he wrote on X.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh participated in “shramdaan” activities, including a cleanliness drive, beautification of the common area and a plantation drive, at the premises of the Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA) in Delhi Cantonment.
In a post on X, Singh said that “in recent years, awareness towards cleanliness has increased throughout the country and become a mass movement”.
In a statement, the defence ministry said: “The Raksha Mantri also interacted with the Safai Karamcharis and lauded their efforts in ensuring cleanliness in the premises. He motivated them to continue working with zeal & dedication and carry forward the mass social movement launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi-led Government to realise the dream of Mahatma Gandhi of a ‘Clean India’. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Financial Adviser (Defence Service) Smt Rasika Chaube and CGDA Shri SG Dastidar also participated in various cleanliness activities on the occasion.”
Union housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Singh Puri participated in the drive at Princess Part on Copernicus Marg in the national capital. “Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modiji’s call for Swachhata Hi Seva, joined residents of the temporary settlement at Princess Park on Copernicus Marg for one hour of Shramdaan for a Garbage Free India,” he wrote on X.
Chief ministers Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh), Bhupendra Patel (Gujarat), Eknath Shinde (Maharashtra) and Himanta Biswa Sarma (Assam) were also among those who participated in the drive.
“Respected Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji has made cleanliness a mass movement to achieve the resolution of ‘Clean India-Healthy India’,” Adityanath said on X after participating in the drive at Sitapur.
Bollywood actors like Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty, and cricketers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma also took part in the cleanliness drive.
