At Brigade Parade Ground, Swachh Bharat mission hits a new low

Kolkata: A large number of local residents who went to the Brigade Parade ground for their routine morning walk on Thursday had to face trouble as BJP workers had badly littered the ground during the Narendra Modi rally on Wednesday.

Many morning walkers asked why the BJP activists had thrown waste items on the ground when their political icon Prime Minister Narendra Modi propagates the mission of Swachh Bharat.

Local resident Piyush Pimplapure, who visited the ground early Thursday morning, said it was very disheartening to see the ground filled with waste products.

There were plastic plates, glass, pouch packs and banners all over the place. The ground has become so untidy, he said.

"The message behind the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, seems to have not reached his party cadres in the grassroots level. The organisers of the rally and the senior BJP leaders in the state must impose some restrictions on their cadres in this regard," Pimplapure said.

Many of the BJP activists, who attended the rally brought food packets with them. After having food some of the party cadres dumped the packets on the ground without giving a thought that plastic and other discarded items would affect the environment and pollute the ground, which is situated at the heart of the city.

The volunteers engaged by the party did not raise any objections when they saw people littering the Brigade Parade ground.

"The workers could have allotted designated spots for waste disposal and protection of the environment, said a local resident.

Some of the state BJP leaders denied the allegation and shunned the responsibility of cleaning up the ground. They said it was the job of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation to carry out a cleanliness drive after the rally concluded.

Some of the city-based environmentalists protested against the incident and urged the BJP party leaders to be more pragmatic next time when they hold a political rally on the Brigade Parade ground.

People irrespective of their political allegiance must come forward and make a pledge that they will think over environmental issues while conducting a rally.