Ambanis join in lighting diyas as country expresses collective resolve to fight COVID-19

Mumbai, Apr 5 () Richest Indian Mukesh Ambani led captains of Indian industry in shutting down lights at their homes and lighting lamps on Sunday night like millions of people across the country in response to the prime minister's call to show collective resolve in the fight against coronavirus.

The Ambani couple - Mukesh and his wife Neeta - switched off lights at their palatial house as the clock struck 9 pm on Sunday and they were seen holding diyas and candles as some shlokas played in the background.

Pictures released by the company showed the facade of Ambani residence Antilla in the tony Kemps Corner area of south Mumbai being lit with earthen lamps

A picture showing Tata Group's chairman emeritus Ratan Tata with what seemed like a plate with a solitary lamp also started floating on social media apps after the end of the designated nine minutes, but it could not be immediately confirmed if it was taken on Sunday.

Earlier in the evening, Tata had tweeted about the crisis.

"This is the worst crisis we have faced, and we must fight this with a spirit of solidarity, resolve, empathy and understanding. We must unite to win the battle against COVID-19," he had said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in a televised address urged everybody to shut off lights for nine minutes at 9 pm on Sunday and integrate to resolutely fight the virus.

The overall death toll in the country due to the novel coronavirus pandemic rose to 83 and the cases climbed to 3,577 on Sunday after 505 new infections were reported in the past 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry.

India has been on a 21-day lockdown from March 25 to check the spread of coronavirus pandemic that has claimed over 65,000 lives globally and inflicted over 12 lakh people since the pandemic first emerged in China in December. AA RT