PM Modi visits Varanasi's Assi Ghat; nominates more names for Swachh Bharat campaign

VARANASI: Taking forward his Swachh Bharat campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today revisited his constituency and lauded people for helping rid the Assi Ghat of mounds of soil and garbage to restore the historical site to its old glory.

In the holy city to mark the Good Governance Day, he supervised the cleanliness campaign and also nominated various people and organisations to join the 'Swachh Bharat (clean India)' campaign launched by his government on Mahatma Gandhi's birthday on October 2 last.

Modi on November 8 had wielded a spade to remove silt deposited at the ghat along the banks of the Ganga as part of his Clean India campaign.

"People, social organisations, municipal coporation and state government have played an important role and we are seeing today that the ghat, which was full of soil, is now back to its old beauty along side Mother Ganga," he said in a brief address.

The Prime Minister nominated for the campaign Nagaland Governor Padmanabha Acharya, former IPS officer and activist Kiran Bedi, former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly, comedian Kapil Sharma, classical dancer Sonal Mansingh, Ramoji Rao of Eenadu group and Aroon Purie of India Today group. He had nominated some people during his last visit as well.

I thank PM @narendramodi Ji for this honour and responsibility. Will do my best for #swacchbharatabhiyaan.

— Kapil Sharma (@KapilSharmaK9) December 25, 2014

In a first, he also nominated some organisations which included Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Eenadu and India Today groups besides 'dabbewale' of Mumbai, who deliver home-made food to lakhs of people in the city.

Modi is in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi to mark the 'Good Governance Day' on the occasion of the 90th birthday of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.