New Delhi: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday urged governors and Lt governors to motivate spiritual and religious leaders to advise their followers against holding congregations and practice social distancing to prevent the transmission of coronavirus.
Addressing governors, LGs and administrators along with President Ram Nath Kovind via video, Naidu also asked them to focus on the arrangements made to ensure harvesting, storage, and procurement of agriculture produce in their respective states and Union territories.
He urged them to contact spiritual and religious leaders in their respective regions and advise them to guide their followers to strictly adhere to the guidelines on social distancing and to observe personal hygiene, a statement from the Vice President Secretariat said.
Referring to a "recent avoidable action" which caused widespread adverse impact across the country, Naidu cautioned the governors and Lt governors to treat it as a "wake-up call".
"No religious congregations should be allowed to take place in your respective states," he said in an apparent reference to the Tablighi Jamat congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin.
On harvesting season, Naidu urged them to advise the state agencies to ensure the smooth movement of farm machinery so that the farmers do not face any hardship.