Indore, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in his "goodnight tweet" cheered the public saying "No one lost the battle on the Coronavirus front" in the state on Sunday.

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, on the other hand, urged the people to pray to their favourite deities for half an hour on Monday morning to get rid of the pandemic.

The Congress was quick to nudge her. State Congress spokesperson Neelabh Shukla on Sunday said, "We have no objection to Tai's appeal to the general public for praying to the deities. But as one of the senior-most BJP leaders, she should ask the Chief Minister Chauhan how such large number of persons died due to COVID-19 in Indore, the city of his dreams? She should ask him why the public is facing problem in getting essential commodities during the curfew?"

In a video message on social media, Mahajan said, "The doctors, government officials, police officers and others are fighting the field battle against the coronavirus. Sitting in our homes we can recite Rudrashtak at 10.30 a.m. on April 20 (Monday) and chant Mahamrityunjaya Mantra using a rosary."

Mahajan said she was making this request on behalf of the city's social organization "Ahilyotsav Samiti". She heads this organisation.

"If you (common people) cannot do these two things, then chant the name of your favourite deity for half an hour in remembrance of Ahilya Mata (ruler of the former Holkar dynasty of Indore whose devotion to Lord Shiva was legendary)."

Mahajan is famous in Indore region as "Tai" (elder sister's address in Marathi). Shukla said that Mahajan's silence on these basic questions related to COVID-19 is going to hurt voters of Indore region.

According to official records 890 COVID-19 patients were found in Indore, one of the worst affected cities of the country by coronavirus and 49 of these have died during treatment.