Bhubaneswar, May 30: The Odisha government on Saturday paid respects to frontline COVID warriors of the state. Entire Odisha came together on the call of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to sing “Bande Utkala Janani” Irrespective of caste, creed or social status everyone sang the popular anthem of the state for showing solidarity towards COVID warriors. India's Coronavirus Recovery Rate Improves to 47.40% After 11,264 COVID-19 Patients Recovered in Past 24 Hours.

Earlier in the day, Odisha chief Minister Naveen Patnaik asked people to join him at 5:30 to honour COVID Warriors, In a tweet, he said, “Join me at 5.30 PM today to honour the sacrifice of lakhs of our #CovidWarriors who are tirelessly working to keep us safe from #COVID19 pandemic. Let us recite #BandeUtkalaJanani to motivate their selfless sacrifice.” Unlock 1 Guidelines: MHA Reduces Night Curfew Timings To 9 PM-5 AM From 7 PM-7 AM.

Tweet by Naveen Patnaik:

The popular anthem reverberated in every part of the state. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also applauded Patnaik and people, of Odisha for their efforts in fight against coronavirus. Pradhan tweeted, “disha has emerged as an underrated leader in #Covid19 management. I compliment CM Shri @Naveen_Odisha, our corona warriors and the people of Odisha for their efforts in strengthening India’s fight against corona. Together, we will overcome.”

Dharmendra Pradhan's Tweet:

The song ‘Bande Utkala Janani,’ had once strengthened the Odia people’s struggle for a separate state and now it instilled a fresh energy in the people of the state to combat coronavirus together.  In Odisha, 1,723 people have contracted COVID-19 so far. Currently, there are 829 active cases in the state, while seven people also lost their lives in Odisha due to COVID-19.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 30, 2020 09:29 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).