Shimla, Jun 9 (IANS): Himachal Pradesh Agriculture Minister Ram Lal Markanda on Tuesday faced protest as he reached his tribal constituency on an official tour and the protesters, largely 300 local women, asked him to go for mandatory 14-day quarantine to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The incident occurred in the Spiti Valley, some 350 km from the state capital.

As he reached Spiti, the women protesters blocked his way and asked him to go for mandatory quarantine as he was an outsider.

Sensing trouble, Markanda preferred to leave the place.

"Even our relatives settled outside the area are not allowed to visit here due to the deadly virus. If anyone has to come, he has to go for quarantine. Even the VIPs have to follow this health protocol," said a local resident.

Later describing the incident as unfortunate, the minister said the protesters had some "ulterior motives" behind the protest.

"I tried to convince the protesters that I am officially touring my constituency to understand their issues. Secondly, I am not coming from outside the state. The mandatory quarantine is for those who are coming from outside the state," Markanda said.

He said this was his second visit to the area in a fortnight.

The intensive campaign against coronavirus has created awareness in rural interiors of Himachal Pradesh to an extent that villagers are now keeping close tabs on the entry of outsiders.