All governments, people must take required action to curb COVID-19 spread: Arvind Kejriwal on Kanwar Yatra

"COVID-19 is a major pandemic. All the governments and people must take all the required steps to curb the pandemic together," the Delhi CM said

New Delhi: To control the spread of COVID-19, governments and the people should be on the same page. That's what Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal believes. Kejriwal's comments come after the Uttar Pradesh government allowed Kanwar Yatra, while the Uttarakhand government cancelled it.

"COVID-19 is a major pandemic. All the governments and people must take all the required steps to curb the pandemic together," he said. Before Kejriwal, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had also told a news agency that protecting people's life was paramount. "Protection of people's lives comes first for us," Dhami said.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Uttarakhand government on July 14 cancelled the Kanwar Yatra this year. Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government decided to continue with the Yatra.The Kanwar Yatra, in which Lord Shiva devotees from northern states, travel on foot or by other means to collect water from River Ganga at Haridwar, Uttarakhand, to offer at Shiva temples in their areas, is set to begin from July 25. 

The Supreme Court, taking suo motu cognisance of the Uttar Pradesh government's decision to allow the 'Kanwar Yatra' amid the COVID pandemic, issued a notice to the Centre and the state governments of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, seeking their responses. The matter is set to come up for hearing on July 16.

(With ANI inputs)