Politicians should ensure litter-free rallies: NGO

Espousing the cause of cleanliness ahead of elections, an NGO has asked political leaders to declare their rallies "litter free" and pressed for inclusion of cleanliness in their party manifestos.
Thousands of rallies are held across the country during and before elections and all kinds of waste is found strewn after the rallies, the NGO, Imagindia Foundation which is running the 'Come, Clean India' campaign, said.
"It often looks like a tsunami of waste has swirled through the ground, roads and streets after such rallies, which also sends a signal that leaders who arrange these rallies are callous towards cleanliness in India," a spokesperson of the campaign said.

He said a recent statement by Narendra Modi that India needs toilets more than temples, and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh's remark on the same issue, indicates rare bipartisan support on the issue of sanitation and cleanliness in India.
The organisation asked politicians to show their commitment towards making toilets, sanitation, zero-litter and clean rivers a reality in India.
Asking Modi and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi to declare their rallies as litter free, the spokesperson said, "We sincerely urge both the leaders that they must lead India by declaring that henceforth, their election rallies shall be litter free and proper attention will be paid to waste management.

"They (should) galvanise change for a clean India and demonstrate leadership by showing visible respect for cleanliness at their rallies."
Terming it as an opportunity for the leaders to show their commitment to a clean India, he said, "We should introspect why India is today perhaps the world's dirtiest country?"
Demanding that political parties include cleanliness in their election manifestos, the spokesperson said the recent Karnataka elections "for the first time saw cleanliness being discussed in political manifestos. Three parties declared in their manifestos that they will make Karnataka, especially Bangalore garbage-free.