Hyderabad: Virus fear stalks mantris, lawmakers

Hyderabad: There is a palpable sense of fear over coronavirus on the premises of the State Assembly on Friday.

Normally, the members cutting across party lines hug each other, shake hands and crack jokes before entering the main Assembly hall. But today it was a different scenario.

Suddenly most of the members decided to follow the traditional Indian system of 'Namaste' and 'Adaab.' When some members like T Jeevan Reddy of Congress out of the habit extended their hand to greet their friends from TRS, the response was "Namaste Anna," and no handshake.

Even KTR chose not to shake hands with anyone. The only Minister who went ahead shaking hands with all was Finance Minister T Harish Rao.

The Health Minister E Rajendar, revealed that he too was not free from worry. Sometimes he took bath in the office as part of maintaining hygiene.

Still he said his family members were worried ever since he started visiting hospitals and held meetings with doctors attending on patients with suspected viral infection and undergoing treatment in the hospitals. What if he carried the virus, they were perhaps wondering, he felt.

The Minister also said coronavirus fear had also hit him financially. He had suffered a loss of about Rs 7 to 9 crore as a poultry farmer. He said the fear of coronavirus had hit the poultry industry resulting in a total loss of Rs 1,000 crore.