There was immense enthusiasm and joy across the city today following the conferment of the prestigious national civilian honor, the Padma Shri, upon Sardar Inderjeet Singh Sidhu, who has brought laurels to Chandigarh and ignited a grassroots revolution in cleanliness. To celebrate this historic achievement, representatives of social organizations, residents of Chandigarh, and senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) congratulated him by presenting a Siropa (robe of honor), bouquets, and distributing sweets.
I faced taunts and mockery, but I never stopped": Padma Shri Inderjeet Singh Sidhu
Addressing the media during an emotional moment, Padma Shri Sardar Inderjeet Singh Sidhu shared the bittersweet experiences of his journey. He said:
In the beginning, when I used to go out on the streets to clean, people would mock me. I had to face all kinds of taunts, but I never cared and stayed committed to my mission. Today, I have received the reward for this selfless service.
He also recalled his memorable meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which boosted his morale immensely. Sidhu Ji shared that PM Modi met him with great warmth and said, Inderjeet Ji, you have cleaned the entire Chandigarh.
Be it 45-degree scorching heat or biting cold, Sidhu Ji never rested": Amit Rana
Speaking on the occasion, BJP State Secretary Amit Rana saluted the spirit of Sardar Inderjeet Singh Sidhu, stating:
"Sidhu Ji is no longer just Chandigarh's, but the entire nation's true brand ambassador for cleanliness. Whether it was the scorching 44–45°C summer heat, the biting cold, or late-night hours, he always stepped forward to do commendable cleanliness work.
Every resident of Chandigarh congratulates him from the bottom of their heart for this honor.
A single video changed history": Advocate Gaurav Goyal
Reminiscing about the past, BJP leader Advocate Gaurav Goyal shared that he never imagined a short video made by him would spark such a massive revolution. Gaurav Goyal said:
"When I made the video of Sidhu Ji's work, I didn't expect it to trend so widely that it would reach the highest corridors of the government and lead to them honoring him with such a prestigious award. This is a victory for a true Karmyogi working at the grassroots level."
Prominent among those who honored and expressed gratitude to Sardar Inderjeet Singh Sidhu were Ganesh Jha, Sheenu Aggarwal, Vijay Bali, Rakesh Sharma ,Rohit Sharma, Sushil Aggarwal, Vagish Dixit, Ashwani Sharma, Mohinder Nirala, Vishal, Gagan Jindal, Varinder, along with a large number of members from social organizations and local residents.
Everyone unanimously agreed that this honor belongs to every citizen of Chandigarh who contributes to keeping the city beautiful.