Bittu Tabahi hits back at Dhruv Rathee for criticising MP CM meeting: ‘Not about credit, issue is civic sense’

Surendra Singh Chaudhary, a 20-year-old student from Madhya Pradesh, single-handedly transformed the polluted Ajnar River in Biaora and has since garnered massive international attention.

Better known as “Bittu Tabahi” on social media, had begun cleaning the river on January 26, coinciding with Republic Day, with nothing but a shovel, sheer will, and no budget for machinery.

After he shared photographs showing the river's condition before and after the clean-up, 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.

Dhruv Rathee slams MP CM’s ‘photoshoot’

YouTuber Dhruv Rathee criticised the meeting and accused the government of seeking credit for the 20-year-old's river-cleaning efforts.

Reacting to the video, Rathee commented: “Aa gaye credit lene.. Sara kaam ek ladke ne kiya aur jab viral hua toh use bula liya photoshoot ke liye aur besharmi toh dekho, usse kya bulwa rahe ho? ‘Sarkar toh kar hi rahi hai’ Kya kar rahi hai sarkar? Kuch nahi, sirf PR kar rahi.”

Rathee's comment roughly translates to, “They have come to take credit. One boy did all the work, and when he went viral, they called him for a photoshoot. And look at the audacity, what are they making him say? ‘The government is already doing its work.’ What is the government doing? Nothing, just PR.”

Bittu Tabahi reacts to Dhruv Rathee's comment

Addressing Rathee directly in the comments, Bittu Tabahi maintained that the interaction was about inspiring civic duty rather than political point-scoring.

“Dhruv Bhaiya credit lene ki baat nahi hai, Govt. ne pehle bhi mere kaam ko appreciate kia hai, Baat yaha civic sense ki hai; main bas ye chahta hu log bhi apni jimmedari samjhe, or meri tarah swachta ke lie aage aye,” he wrote.

The response translates to: “Dhruv Bhaiya, this is not about taking credit. The government has appreciated my work earlier as well. The issue here is civic sense. I only want people to understand their responsibility and come forward for cleanliness, just as I did.”

According to news agency ANI, Chaudhary had continued cleaning the river despite health risks and encounters with snakes. He has also suffered limb infections while carrying out the clean-up near a local temple.

Commending the young boy during their meeting, the chief minister highlighted how solitary dedication can drive deep civic impact.

In the video clip's caption, the CM remarked that Bittu's clearing of the Ajnar River sent a clear signal to society: real change requires a genuine purpose, not an army of people. The CM also aligned his work with the 'Jal Ganga Samvardhan Abhiyan', which aims to revive and conserve water sources through citizen engagement.

Chaudhary, according to an ANI report, had received support from the local municipality, which deployed heavy machinery to remove 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 provides him with support in this effort.”