Govt slammed for dropping saint's name and adopting Aamir Khan as face of Swachhata Abhiyan

MUMBAI: Taking a swipe at the BJP-led government in Maharashtra for appointing Bollywood actor Aamir Khan as the face of its Swachhata Abhiyan, NCP today said dropping the name of Sant Gadge Baba from the programme was an insult to his ideology.

NCP state president Sunil Tatkare said former minister late R R Patil had initiated the cleanliness campaign named after Sant Gadge Baba.

"The Sant Gadge Baba Gram Swachhata Abhiyan was then adopted at the national level and then internationally," he said.

"But the new government has removed Sant Gadge Baba from the name and made Aamir Khan as the brand ambassador. This shows how low governance has stooped," he said.

This is an insult of Gadge Baba's ideology, he alleged. Sant Gadge Baba was a saintly social reformer from Maharashtra, who lived in the 19th century and promoted the values of cleanliness and hygiene. He believed that cleanliness is next to godliness.

To a question on NCP supporting the BJP government if Shiv Sena pulls out, Tatkare said there was no question of supporting the BJP.

"In fact, Shiv Sena will not withdraw the support. Despite the fact that government has failed to provide relief to the drought-hit farmers, Shiv Sena is still part of the government. Even its recent flip flops on opposition to Jaitapur nuclear power project shows its double standards," he alleged.