"Hundreds have volunteered": Delhi Minister Ashish Sood participates in cleanliness drive

New Delhi [India], September 23 (ANI): Delhi Home and Education Minister Ashish Sood on Tuesday participated in a cleanliness drive organised under the Sewa Pakhwada initiative, and said that hundreds have volunteered for the same.
"This is our commitment. Today, hundreds of our colleagues are voluntarily engaged in a cleanliness drive. We are cleaning the garbage under the flyover, which is often ignored," Sood told ANI.
Sood was seen cleaning the garbage under the flyover during a cleanliness drive near Raja Garden.
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday requested the people residing in the national capital not to indulge in defacement of any kind, including wall writing and pasting posters on the walls.
Speaking to reporters, CM Gupta appealed to the politicians not to indulge in defacement by pasting posters, especially with her photograph. She urged people to participate in the cleanliness drive and continue the same on other days as well.
"We are running a cleanliness drive on the ring road. Thousands of people have participated in the cleanliness drive. This must be continued. I request that all Delhiites refrain from writing on walls or pasting posters. I request all the politicians not to paste posters, at least not with my photo. Defacement will not be tolerated," Gupta said.
"Cleanliness drive is a continuous process. We need to understand that this is our city and our nation. I can see that there are tobacco packs, water bottles, we throw away plates after a 'bhandara', and there are posters pasted everywhere. All of this is making our city dirty," she added.
The Chief Minister's remarks come as she participated in a cleanliness and tree plantation drive in the Shalimar Bagh area of Delhi. The cleanliness drive was organised under the ongoing Sewa Pakhwara.
Moreover, Gupta said that loudspeakers being used during Ramlila, Durga Puja, and other cultural-religious events in the national capital can now be used until midnight.
The chief minister said the time extension aims to allow Hindu festivals to continue without time restrictions, similar to celebrations in other states.
Speaking to the reporters, Rekha Gupta said, "I always noticed that our Hindu festivals face difficulties, because Ramlila or Durga Puja can never end at 10 pm. When Dandiya can go on all night in Gujarat, when events can happen all night in other states, then why can't the same be for the people of Delhi? So this time we've given permission to all Ramlilas, Durga Pujas, and cultural-religious festivals to continue until 12 am..." (ANI)