Traders across India to down shutters in response to Janata Curfew on Sunday:CAIT

Traders across India will keep their establishments shut on Sunday in response to the Prime Minister's call for a self-imposed 'Janata Curfew', traders' body CAIT said on Friday.

"On the clarion call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 7 crore traders across the country will down their shutters on Sunday, March 22, to participate in Janata Curfew. About 40 crore employees of traders will remain at home," Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said.

In Delhi, nearly 15 lakh traders and about 35 lakh of their employees will participate in Janata Curfew, he added.

In his address to the nation on Thursday, Modi made a fervent appeal to all Indians to stay indoors as much as possible to avoid getting infected by coronavirus, saying the world has never seen a danger as grave as this.

He called for a Janata Curfew on March 22 from 7 am to 9 pm, saying no citizen, barring those in essential services, should go out of house.

"Even World War I and II did not affect as many countries as coronavirus has done," Modi said in a national broadcast.

Asking people to sacrifice "some weeks of yours, some time of yours", Modi said given that coronavirus has no cure yet, the only way to stay safe is to stay indoors.

"I request all people in the country to get out of house only when it is extremely necessary, try and do all work from home," he said.