Millions of Indians respond to PM's appeal; light candles, diyas, turn on mobile phone torches

Millions of Indians across the country switched off lights at their homes and lit candles, diyas or turned on mobile phone torches at 9pm on Sunday, responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to show nation's "collective resolve and solidarity" in its fight against coronavirus.

This is the second time Modi has sought to rally people amid the ongoing lockdown to combat the pandemic, which has claimed more than 65,600 lives globally and inflicted over 12 lakh people.

As the clock struck 9pm, lights went out in most houses and people gathered in balconies, flashing mobile lights while a few of them lit candles and diyas.

Modi had on Friday urged people to turn off lights at their homes for nine minutes at 9pm to display the country's collective resolve and solidarity to defeat the virus.

You may be alone at home but 130 crore people are with you, he had said while making the appeal to fuse a sense of unity and purpose among people during the ongoing lockdown.

The Prime Minister had earlier asked them to clap or beat utensils on March 22 for five minutes at 5pm while observing 'janta curfew' from 7am to 9pm to thank those working in essentials services.

On March 24, Modi announced a 21-day lockdown across the country from March 25 to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, asserting that social distancing was the only way to deal with the deadly virus.