HYDERABAD: The 'Clean India' campaign to be launched by the Centre on October 2 is envisaged to be a non-political "people's movement", Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said here today.
"Prime Minister's intention is that people should be partners in this and it should be a people's movement.
"Accordingly, I have spoken to many Chief Ministers, Governors and Chief Secretaries of all the states, organisations like Lions Club, Rotary club, spiritual gurus like Kanchi Shankaracharya, Ramakrishna Mission, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and I conveyed the intention of the Prime Minister," he told reporters here.
"I requested them that they should become partners in the people's cleanliness campaign. All are responding positively...All states are responding positively. This is not a party or political programme. Parties can also participate," he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay respect to Mahatama Gandhi at his samadhi on October 2 and will go to Valmiki Basti in Delhi, he said.
The Prime Minister will spend some time in the house where Gandhiji had stayed in the locality and later administer a pledge at India Gate, the Union Minister said.
Modi would also take part in a 'walkathon' on the occasion, he said.
Officials in all the central government offices, including railways and PSUs, will take the pledge given by the Prime Minister, he said.
"Mahatma Gandhi had said that sanitation is more important than political freedom. On the call of Gandhiji, Prime Minister has taken up this programme," the Union
Minister said.
Naidu said he has written to the presidents of political parties, including Congress and BJP, on cleanliness.
He said he has personally written to 4,041 mayors and municipal chairmen, 750 MPs and urged them take part in the campaign. Industry bodies like CII and Assocham have also been approached.
According to the former BJP chief, several icons in different fields like sports and cinema would be approached for the purpose.
All railway stations would be cleaned on the day and MPs have been asked to participate in the exercise in their constituencies.
The cleanliness campaign would continue till October 2, 2019, he said.