Puducherry, Jan 6 (PTI) The DMK in Puducherry on Thursday appealed to the Centre and the Puducherry government to cancel plans to conduct the National Youth Festival here from January 12. Saying that the number of fresh COVID-19 have been on the rise in the recent days and the youth festival organised by the Central government in association with the Puducherry administration would prove to be a "super spreader" of the virus, opposition DMK leader R Siva called for the five-day event to be cancelled. He also urged the Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is scheduled to inaugurate the festival on January 12 to avoid taking part in the festival in view of the rise in the number of cases. In this regard, Siva, Leader of Opposition in the territorial Assembly, said medical experts have already cautioned against gathering of people in public places. He said the New Year celebrations in Puducherry on the night of December 31 had proved to be a "step in the wrong direction." The DMK leader said with participants expected from various parts of the country including from states where the Omicron variant was spreading rapidly, the Puducherry government should reconsider plans to conduct the festival. PTI Cor SS SS