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Follow the Indian habit for staying to avoid the spread of hundred of diseases, including swine flu.

Haryana health minister, Anil Vij said, Indians must opt the very desi greeting ‘Namaste’ to stay healthy.

"You've had a bath, then you go and shake someone's dirty hand, and then all day you keep spreading that dirt to a hundreds of people and so on, which is why we have to rid ourselves of this foreign habit," Mr Vij told the Haryana assembly.

"Whether you say 'Namaste,' or 'Sat Sri Akal,' or 'Allahu Akbar,' or 'God is Great,' say it with folded hands," he said.

Swine flu is a viral disease that spreads through air and human to human contact. The disease has claimed nearly 1500 lives so far and affected 26,000 people.  Of them, Haryana has seen over 250 cases and 27 deaths, the minister told the assembly.

Mr Vij's suggestion today met with enthusiastic support - the entire house raised hands, including Chief Minister ML Khattar, with whom he patched up recently. Last month, reportedly upset over Mr Khattar's directly dealing with his ministries, Mr Vij had posted a series of sarcastic tweets - the matter ended after a senior BJP leader stepped in.

-Smrutirekha