Mumbai: Muslims in Ichalkaranji town of Maharashtra, earned the appreciation of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray as they celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr, the annual Islamic festival, by donating a 10-bedded ICU to the local government hospital with the help of money collected through Zakat, the traditional Islamic charity tax. The move is aimed at contributing to the state’s efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Local Muslim reportedly collected charity worth Rs. 3.6 million ($47561.04) and donated a 10-bedded, well-equipped ICU to the Indira Gandhi Memorial (IGM) Civil Hospital in the town. The ICU facility was inaugurated by Thackeray on Monday.

“Muslims in Ichalkaranji have shown the way for everyone in the country. Till now, we have controlled the spread of coronavirus with courage and patience. Henceforth, public participation (to fight the pandemic) is necessary. The Muslim community has set an example on how to celebrate a festival,” Thackeray said via video conference.

The town according to the 2011 census has a population of 2.88 lac people with 78.32% Hindu population and 15.98% Muslim population among others.

Maharashtra is one of the worst-hit states in India. However, the Ichalkaranji town has seen comparatively lesser number of COVID-19 cases but the fear of spike looms large.