Union Minister Ramdas Athawale cleans the premises of Buddha Temple in Bandra area of Mumbai

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 17 : Union Minister Ramdas Athawale cleaned the premises of the Buddha Temple in the Bandra area of Mumbai on Wednesday, as part of the Swachchata Abhiyan campaign.
Union Minister Ramdas Athawale emphasized the importance of cleanliness, echoing the sentiments expressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"PM Modi has said that one should keep one's house and religious places clean. So, everyone needs to make efforts towards that. Sanitation workers do their work but it is our responsibility too to keep our religious places clean. So, I started this..." he said to ANI.
"If cleanliness is maintained, health will also be good. If there is more garbage, the climate gets polluted, causing physical harm," Athawale stated, underscoring the broader consequences of neglecting cleanliness.
"I appeal to all the people of Maharashtra to clean up wherever there are Buddha or community temples... We have organized a cleanliness program in front of the Buddhist temple in Shashtri Nagar, and its purpose is simply to remind us all to maintain cleanliness," he added.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) started a cleanliness drive on January 14 as part of the Swachchata Abhiyan campaign at all religious places until January 22 when the country will witness the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Speaking with ANI, party chief JP Nadda said, "On PM Modi's direction, the party has decided that starting from January 14 (Makar Sankranti) till January 22 (Pran Pratishtha of Ram Temple), we will hold a cleanliness drive at all the religious places..."
JP Nadda on Sunday participated in a cleanliness drive at Guru Ravidas Mandir in Delhi as part of the 'Swachhta Abhiyaan'.
In Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday, visited and held a cleanliness drive at Kainchi Dham in Nainital, while his Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath participated in a cleanliness drive in Ayodhya.
Further on January 12, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cleaned the premises of the Kalaram Temple in Maharashtra's Nashik as part of the Swachchata Abhiyan campaign.
Earlier, he performed darshan and puja at the Shree Kala Ram Mandir. He also performed darshan and puja at Shree Ram Kund on the bank of River Godavari.
The PM appealed to the people to carry out Swachhata activities (cleanliness drives) at temples across the country ahead of the consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
The X account of the Prime Minister included several pictures of him at the temple.
"Prayed at the Shree Kalaram Temple in Nashik. Feeling incredibly blessed by the divine atmosphere. A truly humbling and spiritual experience. I prayed for the peace and well-being of my fellow Indians," PM Modi said.
Later, during his inaugural address at the 27th National Youth Festival in Nashik, the Prime Minister reiterated his call for cleanliness campaigns, urging citizens to clean pilgrimage places and temples across the country on 'Pran Pratishtha' day of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on January 22.
"I had called upon all of us to clean the pilgrimage places and temples of the country by January 22 and run a cleanliness campaign. Today I have the privilege of visiting Kalaram Temple and cleaning the temple premises," PM Modi said.
"I will reiterate my request to the countrymen to run cleanliness campaigns in all the temples and pilgrimage areas of the country and donate their labour on the auspicious occasion of the consecration of life in the Ram temple," the Prime Minister said.