New Delhi: Amid a huge number of people testing positive from the Kumbh Mela area in Haridwar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday morning appealed that the weeks-long religious festival “should now only be symbolic amid the coronavirus crisis”, stressing that it will give a boost to the fight against the pandemic.
The Prime Minister’s appeal comes in the wake of nearly 2,000 devotees testing positive for Covid-19 at Kumbh Mela in Haridwar in around a week’s time.
Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said that he spoke to top seer – Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha president Swami Avdheshanand Giri Ji Maharaj – over the phone and made an appeal about the annual gathering that attracts tens of thousands of devotees every year.
“Spoke to Acharya Swami Avdheshanand Giri ji on the phone today. Enquired about the health of all saints. All the saints are providing support to the administration for a smooth conduct of the affair and I thanked them for it,” the PM tweeted in Hindi.
In another tweet, PM Modi said, “Now that two royal baths have taken place, I appeal to everyone to keep Kumbh Mela symbolic due to the coronavirus crisis. This will give strength to India’s fight against the virus.”After PM Modi’s appeal, Swami Avdheshanand urged people to not come to Kumbh for bathing in large numbers and follow rules.
“We respect Prime Minister’s appeal. I request the people to not come for snan in large numbers, in the wake of COVID19 situation, and follow all rules,” he wrote on Twitter.
