MP minister Usha Thakur does an encore: Perform yagya to ward off third wave of Covid-19

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​​​​​INDORE: Madhya Pradesh Culture Minister, Usha Thakur is back in the limelight with yet another controversial statement.

This time, she has exhorted all the need to perform a yagya, terming it as an “ancient practice since time immemorial to purify our environment for keeping the third Covid wave at bay”.

Earlier on April 11, Thakur without wearing a mask performed puja before the Devi Ahilyabai Holkar idol at the Indore airport, sitting along with airport authority officials to ward off the pandemic.

This time, the minister asked everyone to participate and do their bit in a yagna for three days, to purify the environment and keep the virus at bay. “Hum sab aahutiya daale aur paryavaran ko shudh kare, kyu ki mahamariya ke naash mein annadhikal se Is yagya ki paawan parampara hai. Ye yagya chikitsa hai, ye dharmandta nahi hai, ye karmkand nahi hai. Ye yagya chikitsa hai, pariyawaran ko shudh karne ki, to aao hum sab do-do aahuti daale aur aapne khaate kaa yagya shuru kaare. Teesri leher hindustan ko chu bhi nahi paaegi (We shall all make our contribution to clean the environment. There has been a ritual of the yagya to end a pandemic since time immemorial. This is yagya treatment, it’s not bigotry or ritualism. It is a treatment and so we should all come forward and fulfill our obligation by making two offerings each towards cleansing the environment by starting this yagya. The third wave then will not be even able to touch India),” said Thakur while inaugurating a Covid care centre in Indore.

Thukar, who is often seen in public without wearing a mask, said that virus will not attack her owing to her vedic lifestyle as she recites Hanuman chalisa regularly and drink kaadha even as she perform havans. She also claimed that performing havan using cowdung will keep a particular area sanitised for 12 hours.

“Mixing ghee made out of cow milk with rice on a cowdung cake to perform havan at sunset and sunrise will help keep the place sanitized,” she said.

Calling it science, she said that her suggestion might appear strange to people but it was not imaginary.

On Tuesday, the minister however maintained that the government is putting its best effort to handle the third wave.