National Conference leader Omar Abdullah took a dig at the cleanliness drive held at the Parliament complex on Saturday morning, saying it was one of the cleanest places in the country. Taking to Twitter, Abdullah, the three time Lok Sabha member said, "But the Parliament complex is one of the cleanest places in the country, especially when the sessions are on, so what were they sweeping?"
The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister was responding to a Swachh Bharat programme held inside the Parliament complex in which several BJP MPs, including actor-turned-politician Hema Malini, could be seen wielding a broom.
A short video of Bollywood actress Hema Malini, accompanied with Minister of State (MoS) for Finance, Anurag Thakur, cleaning a road inside the complex came in for severe criticism on social media as the broom of the Mathura MP was not even touching the ground as she swept.
#WATCH Delhi: BJP MPs including Minister of State (Finance) Anurag Thakur and Hema Malini take part in 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' in Parliament premises. pic.twitter.com/JJJ6IEd0bg
— ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2019
"Ma'am please practice how to wield the (broom) in private before your next photo op. This technique you've employed won't contribute much to improving cleanliness in Mathura (or anywhere else for that matter)," Abdullah wrote in another tweet.
Pre-empting any criticism, the NC vice-president further said, "I knew sweeping the dormitories in Sanawar (Himachal Pradesh) would be useful for something. I'm now qualified to comment on the (sweeping) technique of others".
I knew sweeping the dormitories in Sanawar would be useful for something. I’m now qualified to comment on the 🧹 technique of others 😄
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) July 13, 2019
On the unprecedented cleanliness drive at the Parliament premises, Malini early in the day said, "It is highly appreciable that the Speaker of the House took initiative to carry out 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' on the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, in Parliament premises. I will go back to Mathura next week and carry out this Abhiyan there as well".
(With inputs from agencies)