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Ahead of consecration ceremony: CM Yogi launches statewide cleanliness drive from Ayodhya
Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak take up campaign at Lko temples, CS does it in Vidhan Bhawan
The Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday launched a statewide cleanliness drive, which will continue till January 22, the day of the consecration ceremony at the Ayodhya Ram temple.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath launched Swachh Teerth campaign from the Lata Mangeshkar Chowk in Ayodhya, while other ministers, public representatives and several organisations joined the drive at other places.
“On the call of respected Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji, major cleanliness campaign was started from Shri Ayodhya Dham today. On this occasion, vehicles related to garbage disposal and cleanliness were also flagged off. We are dedicated to keeping the divinity and sanctity of Navya Ayodhya intact,” the chief minister posted on X.
Addressing the public in Ayodhya on December 30, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had appealed to them to take a pledge to make Ayodhya the cleanest city of India.
“This is the responsibility of the residents of Ayodhya.” He had also requested people to run a cleanliness drive at all religious sites and temples across the country from January 14 to January 22.
Chief secretary Durga Shankar Mishra inaugurated a special cleanliness drive on the Vidhan Bhavan Secretariat premises in the morning.
He appealed to personnel to avoid single-use plastic on the secretariat premises and emphasized the need to keep it clean. “If anyone is found littering plastic within the secretariat, a penalty will be imposed,” he warned “Keeping the secretariat clean should be a habit,” he added.
As part of the campaign, Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya cleaned the Balkeshwar Hanuman Temple in Nirala Nagar in Lucknow. Maurya swept the floor, picked up garbage and put it in a cart.
Maurya mentioned that PM Modi while emphasising the importance of cleanliness, had washed the feet of sanitation workers and appealed for cleanliness campaigns in temples. In line with this, the cleanliness drive was initiated at the Balakeshwar Temple, where all BJP members actively contributed.
Another deputy chief minister, Brajesh Pathak, participated in the cleanliness drive at Dakshinmukhi Hanuman Temple in Lucknow.
Brajesh Pathak said, “This initiative aligns with Prime Minister Modi’s Swachhata Saptah (Cleanliness Week) campaign, emphasising the importance of cleanliness and hygiene before the Pran Pratishtha of Lord Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The Swachhata Saptah aims to promote a cleaner and healthier environment across the nation.”
He said, “ This campaign underscores the significance of community involvement in maintaining public spaces.”
Mayor Sushma Kharakwal, at the Hanuman Temple drive said, “Through such endeavors, the government aims to instill a lasting culture of cleanliness and hygiene, creating a positive impact on the overall well-being of society.”
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders also joined the campaign in different parts of the state. The BJP state president Bhupendra Chaudhary participated in the drive at the Chandrika Devi temple in Lucknow.
In Mirzapur, a cleanliness campaign was started from Maa Vindhyavasini Devi Dham and Ashtabhuja Temple, in which MLA Ratnakar Mishra along with district magistrate Priyanka Niranjan participated. Cleanliness drives were also conducted at 209 other temples and places of worship in the district, in which common people participated enthusiastically.
Niranjan said that in order to spread the moral, social and humanitarian values of Lord Shri Ram among people, bhajan kirtan and cultural programmes will be organised in major temples of the district from January 14 to January 22.
