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Switch off lights for nine minutes, light candles, mobile flashlights: Modi

| @indiablooms | Apr 03, 2020, at 09:40 am

New Delhi/IBNS: In his video message to the nation, Indian PM Narendra Modi on Friday asked people to switch off lights in their homes at 9 pm on Sunday and light up candles, clay lamps, torch or mobile flashlights for nine minutes to show their solidarity at a time when the country is under a 21-day lockdown to fight against COVID-19 outbreak.

Modi had addressed the nation twice in recent times.

In his first address, he had asked people to follow Janata Curfew on Mar 22 and then announced 21-day lockdown in his next.

India has completed nine days of lockdown so far.

"To defeat the darkness of despair and light our lives with hope, let's switch off all lights for 9 minutes at 9 pm on Sunday 5 April & illuminate our surroundings with candles, Diyas, Torch or Mobile flashlights. Let's maintain social distancing during this period," he said.

He asserted that people should not gather on roads and maintain social distancing during that period.

He said the only way to break the chain of COVID-19 spread is social distancing.

He said the COVID-19 crisis has shown that India is fighting as one unit.

"We are all in the confines of our homes but we are not alone in this fight. The entire nation is fighting as ONE. This crisis has also displayed our collective national unity. This makes us even stronger to fight and defeat this menace," he said.

India has registered over 50 deaths so far due to the virus outbreak.

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