PM Modi asks citizens to light candles, diyas for 9 minutes at 9 pm on April 5 to mark fight against COVID-19
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday addressed the nation via a video message amid the coronavirus lockdown in the country and urged the citizens to switch off all lights and light up candles, diyas, lamps, torch or cellphone flashlights for 9 minutes, at 9 pm on April 5, Sunday to mark India's fight against coronavirus. However, the Prime Minister urged 130 crore Indians to maintain social distancing while lighting up lamps and asked them to remain in their homes. Further in his video message, Modi said the nation has witnessed an unprecedented discipline and sense of service by people during coronavirus lockdown.
Pitching up to create an atmosphere of hope and strengthen India's coronavirus fight, PM Modi said, "We are at home during lockdown, but we are not alone as the collective strength of the entire country is with each one of us. We have to move towards the light from the darkness created by coronavirus. On April 5 Sunday, at 9 pm, switch off all lights for nine minutes and light up lamps or torch or cellphone flashlights as no force is stronger than our spirit and enthusiasm, Modi said in his video message.
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Take a look at nation-wide coronavirus cases, deaths in the country
| S. No. | Name of State / UT | Total Confirmed cases (Including 55 foreign Nationals) | Cured/Discharged/
Migrated |
Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andhra Pradesh | 86 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Assam | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Bihar | 24 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | Chandigarh | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Chhattisgarh | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| 7 | Delhi | 219 | 8 | 4 |
| 8 | Goa | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Gujarat | 87 | 8 | 7 |
| 10 | Haryana | 43 | 21 | 0 |
| 11 | Himachal Pradesh | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 12 | Jammu and Kashmir | 62 | 2 | 2 |
| 13 | Jharkhand | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Karnataka | 110 | 9 | 3 |
| 15 | Kerala | 265 | 25 | 2 |
| 16 | Ladakh | 13 | 3 | 0 |
| 17 | Madhya Pradesh | 99 | 0 | 6 |
| 18 | Maharashtra | 335 | 42 | 13 |
| 19 | Manipur | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Mizoram | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Odisha | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Puducherry | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | Punjab | 46 | 1 | 4 |
| 24 | Rajasthan | 108 | 3 | 0 |
| 25 | Tamil Nadu | 234 | 6 | 1 |
| 26 | Telengana | 107 | 1 | 3 |
| 27 | Uttarakhand | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| 28 | Uttar Pradesh | 113 | 14 | 2 |
| 29 | West Bengal | 53 | 6 | 3 |
| Total number of confirmed cases in India | 2069 | 156 | 53 | |
Earlier on Thursday, Modi had a video conferencing with all the chief ministers of the states amid the lockdown situation in the country and discussed a common strategy for exit from the lockdown. Modi announced a 21-day lockdown on March 24 (Tuesday) saying that it was the only way for the country to escape from the crisis adding that experts around the world are of the opinion that social distancing is the only way to fight the virus.
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