Sri Lankan PM commends Namami Gange programme

After visiting the holy land of Varanasi, Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaksa said that it was his honour to be able to visit river Ganga. Both the PMs shared their experiences via their twitter handles.

New Delhi: The Ganga river is at the heart of Indian civilisation and our cultural and economic lifeline, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday.

Modi made the remarks on Twitter, replying to a post by Rajapaksa about his Sunday's trip to Varanasi where he got the 'honour' of visiting the Ganga.

• Before leaving #Varanasi, I had the honour of visiting the sacred River Ganga. I commend PM @narendramodi’s #NamamiGange effort, not only because of the river’s spiritual and cultural significance but also because it is host to approximately 40% of #India’s population. pic.twitter.com/kQ5Vedyju3

  — Mahinda Rajapaksa (@PresRajapaksa) February 10, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  Before leaving #Varanasi, I had the honour of visiting the sacred River Ganga. I commend PM @narendramodi’s #NamamiGange effort, not only because of the river’s spiritual and cultural significance but also because it is host to approximately 40% of #India’s population. pic.twitter.com/kQ5Vedyju3

  — Mahinda Rajapaksa (@PresRajapaksa) February 10, 2020

  ">

  Before leaving #Varanasi, I had the honour of visiting the sacred River Ganga. I commend PM @narendramodi’s #NamamiGange effort, not only because of the river’s spiritual and cultural significance but also because it is host to approximately 40% of #India’s population. pic.twitter.com/kQ5Vedyju3

  — Mahinda Rajapaksa (@PresRajapaksa) February 10, 2020

  
  

"Before leaving #Varanasi, I had the honour of visiting the sacred River Ganga."

"I commend PM @narendramodis #NamamiGange effort, not only because of the rivers spiritual and cultural significance but also because it is host to approximately 40% of #Indias population," Rajapaksa tweeted, attaching a picture of his visit.

• The Ganga is at the heart of our civilisation. It is our cultural and economic lifeline.
  
  I am glad you spent time in Varanasi and also went along the Ganga. The experience would have been wonderful! @PresRajapaksa https://t.co/TWhonTUTea

  — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 10, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  The Ganga is at the heart of our civilisation. It is our cultural and economic lifeline.
  
  I am glad you spent time in Varanasi and also went along the Ganga. The experience would have been wonderful! @PresRajapaksa https://t.co/TWhonTUTea

  — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 10, 2020

  ">

  The Ganga is at the heart of our civilisation. It is our cultural and economic lifeline.
  
  I am glad you spent time in Varanasi and also went along the Ganga. The experience would have been wonderful! @PresRajapaksa https://t.co/TWhonTUTea

  — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 10, 2020

  
  

In his reply, Modi said the "Ganga is at the heart of our civilisation. It is our cultural and economic lifeline."

"I am glad you spent time in Varanasi and also went along the Ganga. The experience would have been wonderful," he added.

The Namami Gange programme was launched in 2014 to clean the river and improve its flow.

Inputs from PTI

Read:| British Airways records fastest NY-London flight at 1290km/hr