Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 30 (ANI): Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday while urging students to keep India clean asked them to think about the sacrifices made by freedom fighters for the independence of the country.

"We were not been able to make sacrifices (at the time of Independence struggle) for the country but we can definitely contribute (by keeping India clean)," said the Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Youth Affairs and Sports while speaking at a Clean India programme event at the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University, Ayodhya.

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"We should contemplate in what state we will be leaving this country for future generations," he added.

"I want to say this to the residents of Ayodhya, imagine that a cleanliness drive was run by the people years back when Lord Ram returned to Ayodhya, it's time that we run a similar drive this Diwali in Ayodhya," said the Minister.

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Thakur's Department of Youth Affairs of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in commemoration of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsava is organising a nationwide Clean India programme from October 1 to October 31.

Earlier, Thakur had said, "I, on the behalf of Youth programmes and Sports department, have pledged to collect 75 lakh kg of plastic waste and garbage from October 1 to October 31. We will try our best to collect 75 lakh kg of plastic from every corner of the country in this one month." (ANI)

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