Madhya Pradesh Culture Minister Usha Thakur, who has been giving controversial comments especially related to the COVID-19 pandemic, on Tuesday came up with another suggestion by asking people to perform 'yagna chikitsa' (ceremonial fire ritual) for four days to ward off the third wave of COVID-19. India is currently dealing with a devastating second COVID-19 wave that has swept through the nation, crushing the country's health infrastructure and overburdening frontline medical workers.

Speaking to reporters after inaugurating a COVID Care Centre in Indore, "For the purification of the environment, perform Yagna for four days. This is Yagna Chikitsa. In earlier times, our ancestors used to perform yagna chikitsa to get rid of pandemics. Let us all purify the environment, the third wave of COVID will not even touch India." "According to experts, this wave will attack the children first. For this, complete preparations are being made by the Madhya Pradesh Government. We will overcome the pandemic successfully," she added.

Earlier, Thakur recently had performed rituals in front of a statue at Indore airport to eradicate COVID-19. She was criticised for not wearing a mask while she visited a COVID care centre in the recent past.