Ask followers to respect doctors in forefront of coronavirus fight: Ahmed Patel to religious leaders

Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel on Friday called upon religious leaders to ask their followers to respect doctors and health workers in the front line of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic as reports of attack on them came from some parts of the country.

Patel appealed to the religious leaders to ensure their followers do not fall for "misformation" as all, irrespective of their religion, are vulnerable to the disease.

"COVID-19 doesn't see your religion. Our fight is against the pandemic, not against each other. Religious scholars, priests, maulanas, etc. from every religion need to ensure believers don't fall for misinfo. We must respect doctors, police & those in the front line of this battle," the Congress leader tweeted.

There have been reports of sporadic attacks on doctors, social workers and police personnel by people put under quarantine amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The Congress leader earlier said people are making immense sacrifices and are showing tremendous resilience, but "relief measures put in place by government aren't reaching them".

"Government must focus on last mile delivery," he said.

"Repeatedly asking people to engage in dramatics without concrete efforts will be futile in current situation," he said, in an oblique reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking people to switch off lights at their homes and light up lamps, candles or mobile phone torches on April 5 to display the country's "collective resolve" to defeat coronavirus.