Places of worship will not reopen soon, policy of govt is not to upset anyone, says K Radhakrishnan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Devaswom Minister K Radhakrishnan on Friday said devotees would have to wait for some more time before places of worship including temples reopen in the state as the Covid-19 situation is still a cause of worry though the government had eased lockdown curbs.

He said the government could not announce an exact date right now on the reopening of places of worship and it would depend on a dip in the spread of the virus infection.
"Any rush in temples or other places of worship will result in the increasing spread of the disease. That is why the government is showing utmost seriousness in the issue," he told reporters here.

Stating that it was not the policy of the government to upset anyone, he said their only aim was to contain the spread of the disease. Safety of devotees is the priority of the Left government, the minister added.

After 40 days of Covid-19 induced lockdown, Kerala on Thursday limped back to normalcy as the government eased the curbs allowing shops to open in a restricted manner and public transportation was allowed on a limited basis.

In the major towns, where the Test Positivity rate (TPR) was less, people could be seen venturing out as the state was under lockdown since May 8.
The chief minister had earlier said that there will be relaxation on the curbs in the state based on the average weekly TPR in Local Self Government bodies.

The minister's response was at a time amid calls from various religious groups and organizations to open the places of worship. Organizations including the NSS, the Malankara Orthodox Church and the Kerala Muslim Jamaat Federation had come forward with the demand.