Raj Thackery Questions River Ganga’s Cleanliness

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray raised questions about the cleanliness of river Ganga and the quality of the water, asserting that he would not take a holy dip in the river. Thackeray urged people as he questioned Ganga’s cleanliness.

Thackeray said his party leader, Bala Nandgaonkar, had brought holy water from the recently-concluded Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, but he refused to drink it. He said “Bala Nandgaonkar had brought some water for me, I said, go away. I am not going to take a bath. Who will drink that water? Covid has just passed and people were roaming around with masks on their faces for two years. Now, they are going there and taking a bath.

Thackeray also said he saw videos of people rubbing their bodies and taking bath in Ganga. He asserted that every river in the country were polluted, while such rivers in foreign countries were clean throughout the year. The MNS chief said faith should also have some meaning. Not a single river in the country is clean but we call it our mother.

MNS chief said faith should also have some meaning. Not a single river in the country is clean but we call it our mother. In foreign countries, the river is not called mother, but it remains absolutely clean and all our rivers are polluted.

He asserted that he had been hearing since the time of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi that the river Ganga would be cleaned. Unfortunately, that is not happening. People should come out of all this faith and superstition and use their heads properly he added.

The report, dated February 28 and uploaded on the NGT’s website on March 7, said the board had conducted water monitoring twice a week from January 12 onwards, including on auspicious bathing days, at five locations on the river Ganga and two locations on the river Yamuna.