Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with floor leaders of various parties in Parliament and apprised them of the action taken to contain the spread of the coronavirus. He told them over a video-conference interaction that a decision on lifting the lockdown will be taken after consulting Chief Ministers.

Modi told the meeting that no decision has been taken on extending the 21-day lockdown. He has received suggestions from various States and a final decision would be taken only after consultations with the Chief Ministers, he said.

State govts praised

The meeting was convened by the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry. The Prime Minister termed the present situation as “an epoch-changing event in mankind’s history” and praised the efforts of the State governments in their fight against Covid-19. He noted that India has been among the few countries to control the pace of the virus spread till now, but warned that the situation keeps changing continuously and one needs to maintain vigil at all times.

A government release said Prime Minister termed the situation a ‘social emergency’. The country should try to bring about a change in its work culture and working style. The priority of the government is saving each and every life and it is facing serious economic challenges as a result of Covid-19. The government is committed to overcoming them, it said.

Secretaries of departments such as Health, Home and Rural Development made presentations before the political leaders.

Call for more tests

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said he had urged the Prime Minister to make the Covid-19 tests totally free. “It’s inadequate now. The number of tests has to be increased,” the former Union Health Minister said.

The Opposition also raised the issues faced by migrant workers, industrial workers and farmers. Azad said unemployment increased under the Modi government and the lockdown has worsened the situation.

The Opposition parties also urged the Centre to include the Chief Ministers of Covid-affected States in the task force formed by the Prime Minister to combat the pandemic. “MPs and MLAs and office-bearers of political parties who work with people should also be consulted,” Azad said.

Political leaders also demanded a special finance package for States with increased number of cases, the education schedule be changed as entrance examinations for most of the courses are yet to take place, and supply chain, particularly that of pharmaceuticals, be protected as factories saw a decrease in production.

Senior MP and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar warned against communalising the scenario and urged the media to stop focussing just on one incident – the spread of Covid-19 from a congregation of Tablighi Jamaat .

‘Protect workers’

CPI(M) leader in the Rajya Sabha Elamaram Kareem said the Centre should ensure there is no job loss, salary reduction or any type of retrenchment in any sector.

“The industrial activities and works in the construction sector should be resumed immediately and the government should save lakhs of families dependent on the sectors. There should be enough capital infusion in the economy so that the post-lockdown recession can be tackled effectively. Agricultural sector should be given immediate attention and agricultural loans should be written off,” he said.

SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav, former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut, BJD's Pinaki Misra, BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra, YSRCP'S Vijay Sai Reddy and Mithun Reddy, and JD(U)’s Rajeev Ranjan Singh participated in the video-conference.