CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu BJP on Friday announced the cancellation of 'Modi Pongal,' a Pongal event in Madurai on January 12 that would have Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance, due to an ongoing spike of new Covid-19 cases.

The celebration would be cancelled, said the BJP Tamil Nadu unit head K. Annamalai, because the party is responsible and will follow the state government's Covid procedures. The state government will make a decision on the Prime Minister's Virudhunagar scheme, which will see the opening of 11 new medical institutions on January 12,  Annamalai said.

After CPI state secretary A.M. Naseer appealed for the postponing of the National Youth Festival scheduled for January 12 in Puducherry, prominent Congress leader V. Narayanasamy has also supported it, as per reports.

In a letter to Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Sounderarajan, Narayanasamy stated that holding the National Youth Festival during the Covid outbreak would result in the territory's health infrastructure affecting adversely.

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