Maintaining that India is in a better position than many countries in terms of the ratio of the population hit by Covid-19, the Prime Minister underlined that India cannot afford to lower the guard.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Parliament floor leaders Tuesday that the Union government and the states must work together as a team and rise above politics to tackle the spread of the pandemic.
Maintaining that India is in a better position than many countries in terms of the ratio of population hit by Covid-19, the Prime Minister underlined that India cannot afford to lower the guard. He referred to the resurgence of Covid-19 infection in some countries like the UK.
The nearly three-hour meeting at Parliament House Annexe to brief floor leaders on the government’s management of the pandemic saw division in the Opposition ranks.
While the Congress, CPM, CPI, AAP and RJD stayed away – so did former BJP ally SAD — leaders of the Trinamool Congress, NCP, SP, Shiv Sena and DMK attended the meeting.
A senior Opposition leader said: “There was utter confusion. There was no decision either to attend or to stay away. There was no discussion. So some of us attended and some of the parties stayed away.”
Asked about the Congress decision to stay away from the meeting, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said the Congress wants the government to brief all MPs in the Central Hall of Parliament, and not just floor leaders of parties.
Another Opposition leader said: “Had the entire Opposition stayed away, it would have not looked nice. The BJP would have said we are playing politics over the pandemic.”