Ayodhya, March 25: Less than 12 hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown in view of the coronavirus outbreak, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath headed to Ayodhya and participated in an early morning ritual on Wednesday. The ritual, Ram Lalla Murti Sthapna, was performed to relocate the deity, Ram Lalla, from the makeshift temple to a pre-fabricated one within the premises on the first day of Navratri. Yogi Adityanath shared pictures of him participating in the ritual. Coronavirus Outbreak Live News Updates.

In his early morning tweet, Adityanath described the ritual as the beginning of the first phase of the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. Pictures showed the Chief Minister leading prayers with many prominent saints from the town in attendance. Several government officials including Ayodhya's district magistrate and the police chief were also present. Ironically, Adityanath after the ritual asked people to "follow lockdown boundaries". Social Distancing Seen at Union Cabinet Meeting Chaired by PM Narendra Modi Today Amid Coronavirus Lockdown in India, View Pic.

Yogi Adityanath's Tweet:

Twitterati were quick to question Yogi Adityanath who was reportedly surrounded by at least 20 people during the ritual. They asked why the Chief Minister stepped out and did not maintain social distancing when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is constantly urging people to follow the lockdown guidelines so that the coronavirus does not spread.

Here Are Some Reactions to Yogi Adityanath's Temple Run During Lockdown Over Coronavirus:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a televised address to the nation last night, announced a three-week countrywide lockdown that will bring everything except essential services to a halt in India. "India is at the stage where our actions today, will decide to what extent we can bring down the impact of this disaster. This is the time to strengthen our resolve again and again," he said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 25, 2020 01:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).