New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday teamed up with fitness influencer Ankit Baiyanpuriya in the cleanliness drive of his call for everyone to undertake sanitation measures for an hour on the eve of Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary. "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," Modi posted on X along with a video.
In the video, the Prime Minister was seen with Baiyanpuriya wielding brooms and cleaning and picking up trash. Several other BJP leaders took up cleanliness programmes in different parts of the country. Union Home Minister Amit Shah participated in Ahmedabad while BJP chief JP Nadda did so in Delhi.
People from all walks of life, from politicians to students, participated in an hour-long 'Shramdaan' on Sunday, responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal for a nationwide 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.
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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 in Ahmedabad.
Taking to X (formally known as Twitter), Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri wrote, "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."
Cricketers, including 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. The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry said 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.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on October 1 participated in the 'Swachhata Hi Seva' campaign in Sitapur. Earlier, he visited visited Chakratirth Naimisharanya. The theme of Swachhata Hi Seva-2023 is ‘Garbage Free India’. The theme focuses on visual cleanliness and welfare of Safai Mitras. (With agency inputs)
