A minister in India has been hailed an “inspiration” after he cleared out the mucky contents of a drain as part of a government campaign to make the country cleaner.

A video of Indian National Congress member Velu Narayanasamy has gone viral, showing the politician knuckling down to clear the muck out of a drain.

Narayanasamy, who is chief of India’s southern union territory of Punducherry, got hold of a pair of gloves and a spade when he spotted the clogged-up system in his Nellithope constituency.

He rolled up his dhoti, a traditional Indian garment worn by men to cover their legs, and took his shoes off before climbing into the drain in his bare feet.

To the bafflement of onlookers, he then started clearing the blockage, a task which took him a good 10 minutes.

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It is understood the minister undertook the mucky initiative as part of PM Narendra Modi’s Swachhta Hi Seva campaign, a four-year plan launched in 2014 and aimed at cleaning India’s streets.

A party worker said they were “surprised” by Narayanasamy’s request for gloves and tools to clean out the drain.

He added: “We were taken aback but he insisted that he clear the block. People in his position merely pass directions and do not set an example,” the Times of India reports.

The video was shared massively on Twitter after the congress member posted it.

The public hailed him for his humble act and branded him an “inspiration.”

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