Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said that just as Chhatrapati Shivaji fought battles with swords and shields, the face mask is the only shield in the fight against COVID-19.
Mr. Thackeray was speaking during the 391st birth anniversary celebrations of the Maratha warrior king at his birthplace, Fort Shivneri in Pune. He said, “We should take inspiration from Chhatrapati Shivaji’s life and exhibit the same determination in combating the pandemic.” Mr. Thackeray and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar offered floral tributes to the busts of the king and his mother Jijabai.
The CM said people need to adhere to COVID-19 regulations amid a surge in cases. “Shivaji is venerated as a deity across Maharashtra. He fought numerous battles to establish ‘Swaraj’. We are fighting a battle against the novel coronavirus and our only shield is the face mask. We must not forget that,” Mr. Thackeray said.
Mr. Pawar reiterated that citizens must not behave as if the pandemic had disappeared and urged them to be vigilant by wearing masks, enforcing physical distancing and using sanitizers.
The State government had called for muted celebrations, but Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis said there must not be restrictions on celebrating Shiv Jayanti. “Chhatrapati Shivaji’s life is inspirational in the manner in which he fought the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb and secured ‘Swarajya’…it appears that this government is behaving in a ‘Mughlai’ fashion by putting restrictions on celebrations,” said Mr. Fadnavis.
