PM plans social media challenge to clean India

The idea of the “clean India challenge” is to upload “before and after” videos — showing the person cleaning the area — on social media platforms like Facebook, and naming or tagging people of their choice to do the same. Modi, sources said, will tag famous names including some industrialists, cabinet colleagues and other celebrities.

A BJP leader said the PM would launch a massive campaign on Thursday and it  would “be something that will inspire youth and encourage others to follow his steps.” Pointing out that social media would be a key platform to spread the message, he said, “The entire social media platform will be flooded with the Prime Minister’s messages and the campaign will continue till October 2, 2019… He wants key people in the government and in the private sector to help him make it a success.”

Instead of making the Swachha Bharat Abhiyaan — to be launched Thursday — a one-day affair, sources said the PM was keen to involve the entire country. The BJP’s backend IT team is working overtime to make the initiative, anchored by mygov.in, a hit on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said the PM wanted a sustained campaign. “He is not someone who does anything for a photo-op. He started talking about this mission since his first speech in Parliament and he wants to get it done. So all measures will be taken to ensure the campaign’s success,” he said.