Patna, Dec 13 (PTI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday evaded questions on state BJP leaders' demand for ban on 'namaz' in open spaces, simply stating that "the government is for everyone".

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Speaking to reporters here on the sidelines of his weekly programme 'Janata Ke Darbar Mein Mukhyamantri', the CM said that he would not want to comment on matters related to religious activities.

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"I don't pay attention to such things. I don't want to comment on matters like performing a puja or offering prayers. This government is for everyone. I can only say that religious activities were banned (for a period) amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"These days, I see that people do not maintain social distance at marriage ceremonies and during processions. People must behave responsibly," Kumar said.

BJP MLA Hari Bhushan Thakur Bachol had on Saturday sought a ban on 'namaz' in the open in Bihar.

"Just like the Haryana government, Bihar, too, must ban namaz in the open. If it is a matter of faith, prayers can be offered at home or in a mosque. The Bihar government must ban this practice in the state," he said.

State Panchyati Raj Minister and senior BJP leader Samrat Choudhary has lent support to Bachol over his demand.

Talking about the current COVID-19 situation in the wake of the threat from a new variant of the virus, Kumar, during the day, asserted that all possible measures were being taken to avert a crisis.

He also acknowledged that the number of cases have increased here in the past two days.

"Not a single person in the state has so far been infected with the Omicron variant. The Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) at Patna has got requisite permission to start its own genome sequencing lab. People coming to the state from outside are being tested. If found infected, their samples are being sent for genome sequencing.

"It is true that number of COVID-19 cases have increased in Patna in the last two days. The pandemic is not over yet," the JD(U) supremo underlined.

The state government had been working to improving the health infrastructure, right after the second wave struck earlier in the year, Kumar pointed out.

"Almost all the health centres in the state have got equipment like oxygen concentrators, B and C-type oxygen cylinders. The number of ICU beds has also been increased in all the hospitals of the state," he added.

The CM, as part of the weekly public interaction programme, met over 150 people and looked into their complaints related to general administration, education, social justice and finance among other matters.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)