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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday night announced a complete lockdown in India to contain the spread of COVID-19 and said there will be a ban on people stepping out of homes—the rules of social distancing, he said, applied to the Prime Minister himself. A home ministry statement issued a little while later made it clear that “no religious congregations will be permitted, without any exception”.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, it seems, is the exception where there should be none.

Early on Wednesday morning, he participated in a ceremony to shift the idol of Ram to a temporary structure in Ayodhya. The idol will remain here till the construction of the Ram temple is completed.

After the idol was placed, the Chief Minister offered special prayers and donated Rs 11 lakh for the construction.