Cleanliness drives are the need of the hour to keep the environment neat and clean, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said on Sunday and urged people to take an active part in the 'Swachhta Abhiyaan'.

The Swachhta Abhiyaan in Hamirpur started from Deotsidh, the seat of Baba Balak Nath, an incarnation of Lord Shiva.

Mr Thakur also took part in the Vishva Hindu Parishad's Shaurya Jagran Yatra in Deotsidh. The yatra will crisscross the district in five days.

He hailed the Vishva Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal for taking out these yatras ahead of the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

"Lord Ram is the symbol of courtesy and virtue, a man of values and morals. Ramchandra is 'maryada purushottam', which means the perfect man. Lord Ram is considered to have taken birth on the earth to destroy the evil forces of the age," he said.

Speaking at a district-level youth festival in Una on Saturday, he said India is heading towards becoming self-reliant in every sphere.

Youth festivals are being organised in every district to celebrate Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. He also spoke about the Meri Maati-Mera Desh campaign. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)