Bittu Tabahi hits back at Dhruv Rathee for criticizing MP CM meeting: ‘It’s not about credit, the issue is civic sense’ | Today’s news
Surendra Singh Chaudhary, a 20-year-old student from Madhya Pradesh, single-handedly turned the polluted river Ajnar into Biaora and has since gained huge international attention.
Better known as “Bittu Tabahi” on social media, he started cleaning the river on January 26, which coincides with Republic Day, with nothing but a shovel, sheer will and no budget for machinery.
After sharing photos showing the condition of the river before and after it was cleaned, his efforts reached the Madhya Pradesh government.
Bittu met Chief Minister Mohan Yadav at his residence in Bhopal on Saturday. A video of their interaction was later shared on the Madhya Pradesh CM’s Instagram account.
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Dhruv Rathee slams MP’s ‘photoshoot’ of CM
YouTuber Dhruv Rathee criticized the meeting, accusing the government of seeking recognition for the 20-year-old’s river-cleaning efforts.
Reacting to the video, Rathee commented, “Aa gaye credit lene.. A boy did something and when it went viral he used it for a photoshoot and shamelessly looked at him, what do you call him? ‘Sarkar toh kar hi rahi hai’ What is the government doing? No big deal, just doing PR.”
Rathee’s comment roughly translates to: “They came to take credit. One boy did all the work and when it went viral, they called him in for a photo shoot. And look at the audacity that makes him say? ‘Government is already doing its job.’ what does the government do Nothing, just PR.”
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Bittu Tabahi reacts to Dhruv Rathee’s comment
Bittu Tabahi addressed Rathee directly in the comments, claiming the interaction was more about inspiring civic duty than political scoring.
“Dhruv Bhaiya, this is not about taking credit, the government has already appreciated my work, this is about civic sense; I just want people to understand their responsibility or they will come to clear my path,” he wrote.
The reply translated is, “Dhruv Bhaiya, this is not about taking credit. The government has appreciated my work earlier. It is about civic sense. I just want people to understand their responsibility and come for cleanliness, like me.”
Bittu’s answer to Dhruv Rathee
According to news agency ANI, Chaudhary continued to clean the river despite health risks and encounters with snakes. He also suffered limb infections while cleaning near a local temple.
The Chief Minister praised the young lad during their meeting and emphasized how a solitary devotion can have a profound civic impact.
Captioning the video clip, the CM noted that Bittu’s cleaning of the Ajnar River sent a clear message to society: real change requires a real purpose, not an army of people. The CM also linked his work with ‘Jal Ganga Samvardhan Abhiyan’ which aims to revive and conserve water resources through citizen involvement.
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According to an ANI report, Chaudhary received support from the local municipality, which deployed heavy machinery to remove the accumulated waste.
Biaora Municipal Corporation sub-engineer Rupesh Kumar Netam said, “There is a young man named Surendra Singh Chaudhary who regularly cleans the Ajnar river in Biaora; the municipality also supports him in this endeavour.
