No TMC opposition for ‘Swachhta Hi Seva’ campaign: BJP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called upon the nation to begin a campaign, ‘Swachhta Hi Seva’, from September 15 to October 2.

The Centre’s ‘Swachhta Hi Seva’ campaign, which concluded on October 2, was carried out successfully with no opposition from the state government, despite earlier opposition to diktats on observing Independence Day and Teachers’ Day in state-run schools.

According to state BJP leaders, the movement was carried out successfully in several places, and party workers received no opposition from either the state government or ruling party activists. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called upon the nation to begin a campaign, ‘Swachhta Hi Seva’, from September 15 to October 2 — the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi — to create an environment of cleanliness in the country.

Speaking to The Indian Express, state BJP vice-president Subhash Sarkar said: “We received a huge response from people of the state during the campaign. Even children took part in it. We did it in several districts and in Kolkata as well. The campaign was a great success in Bankura.

“However, there were few places where we did not get the desired support. But overall, the campaign was successful in West Bengal.”

Echoing the same, state BJP general secretary Sayantan Basu said there were no major reports of opposition from the state government. “We did not receive any opposition or obstruction from anyone. The campaign was held smoothly,” Basu said.

It may be recalled that the state government had vehemently opposed the Centre’s decision to promote the Swachh Bharat Mission in state-run schools on Teachers’ Day.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development’s School Education Secretary Anil Swarup had on August 16 posted a circular on its website, which read: “The Hon’ble Prime Minister has suggested to promote the message of Swachhta on a massive scale and engage smart, young minds in the Swachch Bharat Mission through national level essay and painting competitions organised across all the schools on occasion of Teacher’s Day, i.e. September 5, 2017.”

The state government had described the directive as “ridiculous”.

It had also opposed the Centre’s directive on Independence Day celebrations in state-run schools, instructing them to ignore the directive detailing a Centre-prescribed format for the occasion.

Taking a dig at the state government’s change of stance, a senior state BJP leader said: “Going by its constant opposition to central government schemes and campaigns, it was good to see the state government did not come up with a campaign to counter the Centre’s ‘Swachhta Hi Seva’ movement. It seems good sense prevailed at last.”