Swachh Bharat initiative lacks vision, says Rahul

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, alleging the latter's pet project Swachh Bharat lacked the vision to carry out cleanliness drive across the country. He was speaking to reporters after visiting the Deonar garbage dumping ground here. Recently, two massive fires had broken out at the dumping yard, spread over 326 acres, leading to the formation of a thick blanket of smog in various parts of Mumbai.

Gandhi met people living nearby and demanded that the dump-yard be closed. He said the prime minister or the Maharashtra chief minister should come up with a strategy to resolve the issue. "Talking of Swachh Bharat and doing Swachh Bharat are two different things. It is a sad affair," he noted.

Adding: "I met the citizens here. One person was weeping. This (dumping ground) is damaging people. There is pollution here. Children are contracting tuberculosis. One child has also died."

Gandhi also met gold jewellers in the city to extend his support to their demand that the one per cent excise duty on non-silver jewellery items be withdrawn. Incidentally, the jewellers called off their 43-day strike on Tuesday.

This is Gandhi's second visit to Mumbai in a span of two months. In February, he had led a rally organised by the city Congress unit to protest against high power tariff.