Covid-19 is not only physical illness, it also draws attention to unhealthy lifestyle: Modi

New Delhi: Asserting that the government’s guiding light is the Constitution of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the government does not discriminate between faith, gender, caste, creed or language and is led by the desire to empower 130 crore Indians.

Addressing the 90th birthday celebrations of Rev Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan in Pathanamthitta of Kerala via video-conference, he said, “We have taken decisions not from comfortable government offices in Delhi but after feedback from people on the ground.”

“It is this spirit that ensured every Indian has access to a bank account,” he said.

The prime minister asserted that the Government of India did not discriminate between faith, gender, caste, creed or language.

“We are guided by the desire to empower 130 crore Indians and our guiding light is the Constitution of India,” he told the gathering.

Referring to the fight against novel coronavirus, Modi said, “Covid-19 is not only physical illness that threatens lives of people, it also draws attention to unhealthy lifestyle.”

Modi said that due to nationwide lockdown, a people-driven fight and several initiatives taken by the government, India is much better placed than many other nations.

He said India’s recovery rate is rising. The people-driven fight has given good results so far, Modi said, cautioning that people can’t let their guards down yet.

“In fact, we have to be even more careful now. Wearing masks, following social distancing, avoiding crowded places remain important,” he said.