Prime Minister Narendera Modi on Saturday said the Swachh Bharat campaign was his government's "biggest achievement" and praised the children and the young for being the project's "biggest brand ambassador".
"It was a unique thing for the country when I announced the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan on last Independence Day from Red Fort. Today, I congratulate the Team India for the achievement of this abhiyaan," Modi said in his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort.
He said Team India - 125 crore Indians - helped the government in achieving the success of the Clean Indian campaign. He praised the young for leading the campaign.
"I salute to these children," he said.
Referring to how he spoke about toilets and cleanliness in his first Independence Day, he said that many had then wondered "what kind of a PM is he, talking about these issues".
But "if there is something that has touched every person, it is the movement towards cleanliness," he said.
"People from all walks of life, spiritual leaders, media friends, celebrities, everyone has worked to create awareness (about the Clean India campaign)," he added.
