Motivate religious leaders to ask their followers not to hold congregations: Naidu to guvs

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday urged governors and Lt governors to motivate spiritual and religious leaders to advise their followers against holding congregations and practice social distancing to prevent the transmission of coronavirus.

Addressing governors, LGs and administrators along with President Ram Nath Kovind via video, Naidu also asked them to focus on the arrangements made to ensure harvesting, storage and procurement of agriculture produce in their respective states and Union territories.

He urged them to contact spiritual and religious leaders in their respective regions and advise them to guide their followers to strictly adhere to the guidelines on social distancing and to observe personal hygiene, a statement from the Vice President Secretariat said.

Referring to a "recent avoidable action" which caused widespread adverse impact across the country, Naidu cautioned the governors and Lt governors to treat it as a "wake-up call".

No religious congregations should be allowed to take place in your respective states, he said in an apparent reference to the Tablighi Jamat congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin.

On harvesting season, Naidu urged them to advise the state agencies to ensure smooth movement of farm machinery so that the farmers do not face any hardship.

He also asked them to ensure 100 per cent procurement of the produce. That is the need of the hour, the vice president said.

Expressing concern over the incidents of assault on doctors in some states, Naidu described them as unfortunate and condemnable.

He asked the governors to sensitise people on the crucial role being undertaken by doctors, nurses and other frontline warriors such as sanitary staff and police personnel in the battle against COVID-19.

The vice president said such incidents would have a demoralising effect on doctors and others, according to the statement.

This is the second time the president and the vice president have interacted with governors, LGs and administrators on coronavirus.