India needs protection, not superstition: Kolkata Cong leaders

The city Congress leaders on Sunday hold a silent protest with candles in their hands while maintaining social distancing against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to 'light diya and lamp' in a spirit to fight against COVID-19 battle. They said that 'India needs protection, not superstition.'

The Congress leaders in the city hit the streets and protested against the Prime Minister's 'light candle' appeal. Holding candles and placards, the leaders said: "Food distribution is equal to virus distribution. We need protection, not superstition."

"We believe in humanity. We maintained lockdown rules and remained in distance from each other while protesting. People who would like to provide food to the poor. People should maintain distance," Congress leader Shankarnath Hazra told ANI.

"We will not light candles. It is an act of superstition. We protest against this. Why we light these candles? Are we getting anything from this? This is not a remedy to the COVID-19," he said.

Hitting out at the Centre for 'failing' to tackle the COVID-19 outbreak, Congress leader Pramod Pandey said there is a need for effective government, not the one who believes in superstition.

"We are maintaining social distance to give a message to the common people how important it is to avoid gathering. By holding these candles in our hands, we want to show we believe in work and not in superstition. We salute police and health workers as they are fighting the corona battle in a real sense," he said.

On Friday, the Prime Minister asked citizens to turn all lights off in their houses at 9 pm on Sunday (April 5) and to stand at their doors or windows with a candle, diya and torch for nine minutes in a battle against the COVID-19.