‘Who will take a dip in Ganga?’ Raj Thackeray questions river’s cleanliness
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Pune: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday said he would not take a dip in the River Ganga, adding that there is not a single clean river in the country.
Raj Thackeray told an event in Pimpri-Chinchwad, marking the 19th foundation day of his party, that he refused to drink the holy water brought by the party leader Bala Nandgaonkar from the Maha Kumbh held in Prayagraj, The Indian Express reported.
‘We had organised a party meeting in Mumbai. Some did not attend as they were ill, 5-6 of them had gone to Maha Kumbh. I ask them as to why do they commit the sin? Then I asked them whether they took bath after returning. Bala Nandgaonkar (party leader) brought the holy water…I told him I will not drink it…We should come out of the superstitious mindset,’ he was quoted as saying.
Claiming that there is not a single clean river in the country, Thackeray asked : ‘Who will drink that water…I have seen several swimming pools which are clear blue at the start and then water turns green…Who would like to swim there ?’
Urging people to come out of ‘superstitious beliefs’, he said ‘We worship river as our mother. When I travel abroad, I see clean rivers. They don’t worship the rivers. Our rivers are all polluted’.
He said he began hearing about clean Ganga campaign from the time Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister, adding that ‘Raj Kapoor also made a movie on Ganga river…but Ganga is still not clean…We should come out of the superstitious beliefs’.