Don't use alcohol-based sanitisers before lighting candles or lamps: Govt

Many Indians are gearing up to respond to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for lighting lamps and candles at 9 pm on April 5. But they must be careful as the government on Saturday (April 4) cautioned people against the use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers before lighting the appliances as they are inflammable.

“Please refrain from using alcohol-based hand sanitisers tomorrow before lighting candles or lamps,” K S Dhatwalia, Principal Director General of PIB, said at a media briefing.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 3 urged people to switch off lights at their homes and light lamps and candles, or turn on mobile phone torches for nine minutes to display the country’s “collective resolve” to defeat the novel coronavirus.

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In a video message of over 11 minutes, Modi had also asked people to maintain the “lakshman rekha” of social distancing by staying indoors and not getting together in groups during the exercise.

Modi had said once people everywhere light up lamps or display flashlights of their mobile phones at their doorsteps or balconies after turning off the lights at home, it will emerge in this “superpower” of brightness that “we are all fighting with a collective resolve”.