Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday the river Ganga would be 100% clean by end of March next year.

Speaking at an election campaign meeting in the Mandrem in North Goa, Mr. Gadkari used the Ganga cleaning project to taunt Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi, saying, “Because we (BJP-led NDA government) cleaned the Ganges, Priyanka Gandhi could drink its water. Because we built the waterway from Allahabad to Varanasi, she could travel in a boat. If they were in power, it would never have happened."

Ms. Gandhi had recently launched a “Ganga yatra” as part of the election campaign in Uttar Pradesh.

"We have finished just 30% of the work. Ganga is now clean and pure, something which no one had imagined. I have given confidence to the country that by next March end, Ganges will be clean and pure," he also said.

Mr. Gadkari listed the number of developmental projects done by his ministries and the Central government in five years.

Turning to Goa, Mr. Gadkari, who is considered close to former Deputy Chief Minister Sudin Dhavlikar of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), and was instrumental in getting the alliance partner MGP (M) back as an alliance partner intact in the BJP-led Pramod Sawant government, appealed to his party “to show a large heart” while responding to Mr. Dhavlikar.