HYDERABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s clarion call for a nine-minute blackout and to hold candles as a symbolic gesture of support for thousands who were at the forefront fighting the war against Covid-19, evoked a strong response from citizens of the city.
Thousands lit candles and flashed torch lights on their and rooftops, while many decorated their balconies with rice lights and the national flag.
At Pragathi Bhavan, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao along with Health Minister Eatala Rajender, DGP M Mahender Reddy, MA&UD Principal Secretary Arvind Kumar and other officials held candles for nine minutes starting at 9 pm.
KCR congratulated the electricity department for ensuring that there was no problem during the nine-minute blackout. He congratulated Transco and Genco CMD Devulapalli Prabhakar Rao and other officials. The CM said though the demand slipped beyond estimated levels, the power department worked with strategy.
Meanwhile, Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan requested people to light candles or diyas to express solidarity and demonstrate the “country’s collective will to fight coronavirus”. MoS (Home) G Kishan Reddy posted on Twitter: “Let us all unite to light diyas and illuminate our surrounding to eliminate the darkness caused by #coronawarriors (sic)”. The Cyberabad Police Commissioner, too, lit a lamp at his residence. A few citizens went overboard and burst firecrackers, drawing criticism.