India open defecation-free: PM Modi on Gandhi Jayanti

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday declared “India open defecation-free”, saying the whole world was “amazed” at the government’s achievement in providing toilets to over 60 crore people in 60 months.

“Today history is repeating itself. As Bapu (Gandhi) led people on the path of Satyagraha, in a similar manner people followed and helped the call for clean India,” Modi said at a ‘Swachh Bharat Diwas’ event.

Declaring India “open defecation-free” by pressing the button of a remote, Modi said, “The whole world is amazed and appreciating us for constructing toilets for over 60 crore people in 60 months by building over 11 crore toilets.”

He thanked everyone, especially sanitation workers, for helping the government achieve this feat.

On the occasion, the prime minister also said that plastic was a “bigger threat” and called for the eradication of “single-use plastic from the country by 2022”.

Earlier, Modi visited Sabarmati Ashram, which was founded by Mahatma Gandhi 1917, and also addressed BJP workers outside Ahmedabad airport.