New Delhi [India], Sept 30 : Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju on Monday said that the country needs to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and the biggest way that the nation can achieve that is by ensuring cleanliness.
The government will be orgsing several two-km-long runs to promote plogging across the country starting October 2, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said on Saturday.
Union Sports Ministry will be orgsing 'Fit India Plogging Run' for two kilometers from October 2, Modi said during his monthly 'Mann Ki Baat' radio address.
"First of all, it is very exciting to see how the citizens are coming forward to participate in the Fit India Movement and for the Plogging Run on October 2nd. On the occasion of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, we need to do something big, and the biggest thing would be 'swachata'--cleanliness. PM Modi has already stated that we have to make India clean to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. On October 2nd, we will run, but we want people to pick up all plastic along the way and keep it where it actually belongs," Rijiju told .
"People are participating in the Fit India Movement in large numbers. We have received a response from all age groups in the country. People have responded very well to the movement and it makes me believe that it will be a universal initiative. If the movement is successful, it will lead to better sports culture in the country," he added.
Rijiju also hailed PM Narendra Modi for giving the country a dream of becoming a prosperous and fit nation.
"We have a leader in a form of Modji who has given a dream to the people of this country, a dream where India will be prosperous, a dream where every Indian will be fit. It's very heartening to see that on the basis of our PM, people are participating in Fit India movement in a massive manner," Rijiju said.
"If we don't make our country clean then the dream of every Indian to make India a powerful and beautiful country will not be successful. People orgse many events but we should keep in our mind that every event must be people-friendly and environment-friendly. If you do a good event but it is not environment-friendly then there is no point," he added.
Talking about the sports code which is yet to be implemented, Rijiju said: "This will be taken care of, whatever we need to we will do, there is no urgency to make timeline but we must act on the basis of need and things will be done as per the need of the time".
( With inputs from ANI )