As the country grapples with the coronavirus pandemic and is under a 21-day lockdown to curtail the disease’s spread, Telangana’s state cabinet ministers were seen celebrating Ram Navmi in Sri Sita Ramachandra Swamy Temple in Bhadrachalam town on Thursday, 2 April.
Telangana, with 127 positive cases, is one of worst-hit states in the coronavirus outbreak. Further, 9 people who attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi’s Nizamuddin from Telangana have succumbed to the disease.
Ministers who were seen participating in the event are Allola Indrakaran Reddy (Minister of Endowments, Law and Environment, Forest) and Puvvada Ajay Kumar (Transport Minister).
In light of the pandemic, the government prohibited devotees to attend the event which otherwise draws a crowd of over two lakh.
Earlier, in a statement to the media, Reddy had said he would offer pattuvastralu and mutyala talambralu on behalf of the Telangana government. However, on Thursday, the two ministers and their families were seen performing the ritual.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)