MP: Bollywood actors urge people to stay indoors amid lockdown

Jabalpur, Apr 22 () In a bid to deter people fromstepping out during the COVID-19 lockdown, the Madhya Pradeshgovernment roped in Bollywood actors Ashutosh Rana and RajpalYadav to appeal to people, an official said on Wednesday.

The Bollywood artistes took to the streets of Kotwaliarea in Jabalpur on Tuesday, asking people to remain indoorsto stem the spread of coronavirus, an officer from the state'spublic relations department said.

"People peeped out of the windows of their homes tocatch a glimpse of the two actors, who urged them to practicesocial distancing whenever they stepped out," he said.

Rana, who was born in Narsinghpur district, has wonthe Filmfare Award for his films 'Dushman' and 'Sangharsh',while Yadav has a host of strong performances under his belt,and is known for his comic roles.

The actors distributed masks and sanitisers topolicemen who were manning the streets, the official said.

The duo praised police personnel for their dedicationand honesty in performing their duty in these unprecedentedtimes, he said.

The actors were in Madhya Pradesh to meet theirspiritual guru Pandit Dev Prabhakar Shastri, popularly knownas Daddaji in the neighbouring Katni district.

At least 27 people have tested positive for COVID-19in Jabalpur, of which six have recovered from the infection. LAL MASARU ARU