India begins Janata Curfew

New Delhi: Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to the nation for a 'Janata Curfew' from 7 am to 9 pm on Sunday, various state governments and national organisations decided to suspend or cut down their services on the day in a bid to take the deadly coronavirus.

The Prime Minister's announcement was met with support from leaders of various parties and organisations, who pledged to adhere to the curfew and urged others to do the same.

Autos and taxis will also be off the roads in many cities, including the national capital on Sunday, as several unions have extended their support to Modi's call. The unions affiliated to various bodies have decided to join the curfew.

The Delhi Metro Rail said it would suspend its services on Sunday. "The move is aimed at encouraging the public to stay indoors and maintain social distancing, which is essential in the fight against Covid-19," the DRMC tweeted.

Mumbai Metro One has also declared a suspension of operations on Sunday to encourage people to stay at home. Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited too announced the closure of services on Sunday, and so did the Chennai Metro Rail Limited. Meanwhile, bus services in various states like Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Haryana have also stated that they will not operate on Sunday.

The Karnataka government has also ordered all bars and sit-down restaurants to shut their doors, and only delivery services are allowed to operate. Liquor stores in various states have already been shut.

Meanwhile, Goa's health minister announced that Section 144 will be imposed on the state on Sunday, to restrict all movement of citizens. Muzaffarnagar district jail authorities will not let visitors meet inmates on Sunday when 'Janata curfew' will be in force to prevent the spread of coronavirus, officials said on Friday. Domestic travel will also cut down further as airlines like GoAir, IndiGo and Vistara announced that they will be curtailing domestic operations on Sunday.

Civil society group United Against Hate has urged people to protest against the NRC, NPR and CAA at 5 pm on Sunday from their balconies, windows and gates.

"First we will thank our sisters and brothers who are at ground zero taking care of the infected, supplying essentials... and then we will hold anti-NRC, anti-CAA placards in our balconies and windows and demand the government to roll back its decision to start the NPR exercise from April 1."

The women protesters at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh will also continue with their protest on Sunday.

Meanwhile, celebrities from various industries also pledged their support. Bollywood superstars including Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Anupam Kher and Shankar Mahadevan urged their followers to adhere to the curfew. Athletes including Virat Kohli and R Ashwin also did the same.