Eid ul- Fitr: Shops selling essential items will be allowed to open till 9 pm, says Kerala CM

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday said that shops selling essential items will be allowed to open till 9 pm depending on the Eid ul- Fitr moon sighting.

"The faithful usually visit shops after the moon sighting in the night. So the shops selling essential items will be allowed to remain open until 9 pm for that day," said Vijayan while addressing a press conference.

Chief Minister said that if Eid ul-Fitr falls on Sunday, certain relaxations will be granted in the complete lockdown that Kerala has declared on every Sundays.

Muslim clerics in Kozhikode said that Kerala is likely to celebrate this year's Eid-ul-Fitr on Sunday as the new moon was not sighted today.

"As the Shawwal month new moon was not sighted the Eid-ul-Fitr will be on Sunday in Kerala, " said Muslim clerics.

In its latest lockdown guidelines, Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Sunday had said that the night curfew shall continue to remain in force on the movement of individuals for all non-essential activities, between 7 pm and 7 am.

( With inputs from ANI )