Maha: Activist heckled for ignoring 'switch off lights' appeal

A social activist here in Maharashtra has alleged that he and his family were heckled and termed as "anti-national" by a neighbour after they did not switch off lights at 9 pm on Sunday in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal. Siddharth Prabhune took to Twitter to express his grievance and said his family did not switch off lights as he was unwell.

His wife Trupti Prabhune said they did not lodge a police complaint in the matter as the security personnel are already busy enforcing the lockdown. The activist said he along with his family were on the terrace of their house by 8.45 pm on Sunday.

"By 9 pm, people started switching off the lights and lit diyas and candles. Lights in our house as well as on the terrace were on because I was not well," he tweeted. He further stated that a builder, who lives in front of their building, started shouting to switch off the lights.

"However, we remained silent. He then came down and gathered people and started shouting at us," Prabhune alleged. In his Twitter post, the activist further alleged that the builder used intimidating language, labelled his family as "anti-national, "vile", and threatened to send them to jail for three months.

The activist said the appeal made by Prime Minister Modi was voluntary, and such "intimidation" is wrong. When contacted, the activist's wife said the behaviour of the person was not appropriate, but they do not want to escalate the matter.

"He should have not used that sort of language," she said, adding that they chose not to approach police who are already overburdened due to the current lockdown situation. Prime Minister Modi last week appealed to people to defeat coronavirus by switching off lights in their premises for nine minutes at 9 pm on Sunday amid the nationwide lockdown.

People across the country enthusiastically responded to his appeal by lighting candles and diyas, and flashing lights of their mobile phones by standing in balconies and in front of their houses..

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)