Senior Congress leader and former Puducherry chief minister V Narayanasamy on Saturday urged Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan to reconsider her decision to allow installation of Lord Ganesha idols in public places during Vinayaka Chaturthi.
In a video message, Narayanasamy said Covid cases would rise again if people gathered in public places.
"The Tamil Nadu government has already banned installing the idols in public places and also taking out processions on the occasion of the festival. The Puducherry government should also emulate this and the Lt governor should reconsider her announcement on permitting idols in public places," he said.
Narayanasamy said people should celebrate the festival at home and immerse the idols in the nearby water bodies. He said there should also be a ban on holding processions of idols.
The Congress leader called upon Chief Minister N Rangasamy to intervene in the matter in the larger interest of keeping the escalation of the pandemic at bay.
Narayanasamy said Puducherry was now witnessing a spurt in the number of new cases of coronavirus and hence, the Lt governor should reconsider her stand and people should celebrate the festival at home.