Party spreads cleanliness message on PM’s birthday
LUCKNOW: Like most Virgos – Prime Minister Narendra Modi is known to be passionate about two things – punctuality and cleanliness.
Since its inception, the Modi government has been invoking Mahatma Gandhi’s passion for cleanliness as a benchmark to follow. This is the reason why the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chose September 17 – Modi’s 67th birthday – to launch ‘Swachhta hi seva’ (cleanliness is service) campaign that will continue till October 2 – the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
A cake was cut at the BJP office in Lucknow on Sunday to celebrate the occasion but instead of singing birthday song, the party leaders reiterated their commitment to the cause of cleanliness. A special puja was also organised on the occasion.
While UP minister Ashutosh Tandon ‘Gopal’ wielded the broom at Valmiki Park in Indirangar to support the cause that Modi had taken up three years back on October 2, union minister Uma Bharti participated in a cleanliness campaign at Nigohan in Lucknow. Tandon and BJP leader Braj Bahadur performed puja at the Valmiki temple at Valmiki Park. Tandon, who also inaugurated a health camp, urged people to dispose of garbage properly.
“Proper management of garbage will help the government in fulfilling PM Narendra Modi’s mission of clean India,” he said.
UP BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey, who was in Mathura, also participated in the cleanliness campaign. In his message to the cadre, Pandey said cleanliness should become a mass movement. The government followed the party line with chief minister Yogi Adityanath, deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma and 44 ministers launching ‘swachhta campaigns’ in various parts of the state. Cakes were cut and yajnas were performed in temples in various parts of the state to celebrate the occasion.
The BJP leaders also honoured sanitation workers, mostly Dalits, unveiling a larger plan to connect with the community considered loyal to the Bahujan Samaj Party. The Dalits have been supporting the BJP since 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
When the schools open on Monday, the BJP leaders, lawmakers, ministers and officebearers will be seen in primary government schools of the state to celebrate Modi’s birthday with students.
“Through campaigns in schools, the students are being initiated into the concept of cleanliness at an early age. The other benefit is that since all party leaders are expected to adopt government primary schools, the focus would ensure that the situation improves there,” said UP BJP general secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak who has adopted a primary school in Azamgarh’s Barsara Khalsa village.
He has provided for furniture and other amenities that the primary school lacked.
All 312 BJP lawmakers from UP are also expected to adopt primary schools. The move to involve schools on Modi’s birthday has also come in for praise from the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS).