PM appreciates bipartisan support to his 'Janta curfew' call

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday appreciated the "bipartisan" support from politicians cutting across party affiliations to his call for a "Janta curfew" on Sunday as part of the efforts to check the spread of the coronavirus, saying all of us have to fight the menace together.

Responding to tweets by leaders on his call for a "Janta curfew", he said a "bipartisan support in such efforts is deeply appreciated. We have to fight this menace together".

Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) Supriya Sule had tweeted, saying as a responsible citizen of the country, she pledged her support to the "Janta curfew" announced by Modi.

The prime minister also referred to tweets by Telugu Desam Party leader N Chandrababu Naidu, who said these were testing times for the nation and everyone must fight with resilience and social distancing.

Modi also referred to tweets in support of the "Janta curfew" by personalities from various fields, including sports, media and the Bollywood.

He also shared a video posted by these personalities.

Pitching for "social distancing" in his address to the nation on Thursday, Modi called for a "Janta curfew" from 7 am to 9 pm on March 22, saying no citizen, barring those in essential services, should get out of their houses and asserted that it will be a litmus test to show India's readiness to take on the challenge of the coronavirus outbreak.

This experience will serve the nation well, he added.