'Compassion & dedication': PM Modi seeks Lord Hanuman's blessings as India battles Covid

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday sought the blessings of Lord Hanuma in the fight against coronavirus pandemic. Extending greetings on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti, he tweeted: "The holy occasion of Hanuman jayanti is the day to recall the spirit of compassion and dedication of Lord Hanuman. I wish that his blessings are always upon us in the continuing fight against the COVID pandemic.”

India is in the grip of the second wave of Covid-19. The country's health infrastructure has been buckling under pressure with an unprecedented surge in fresh cases of infection. The country has emerged as the global hotspot, accounting for nearly 35 per cent of the daily cases. Alone in April, 34,595 people have lost their lives of which 17,333 came in the last seven days.

On Tuesday, as many as 3.23 lakh fresh cases were reported, the seventh day in a row when daily count crossed three-lakh. More than 2,700 people succumbed to infection in the last 24 hours.