Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held a video conference with chief ministers of all states to decide whether the nationwide lockdown should be extended or not to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
During the meeting, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Amarinder Singh suggested to PM Modi to extend the nationwide curfew till April 30.
This is the third video meeting of the Prime Minister with the CMs. Odisha and Punjab are the only two states which have, so far, announced the extension of the lockdown.
During the meeting, PM Modi was seen wearing a mask. “I am available 24×7. Any chief minister can speak to me and give suggestions (on COVID-19) anytime. We should stand together shoulder-to-shoulder,” PM Modi assured the chief ministers.
Delhi: Prime Minister @narendramodi holds a meeting via video-conferencing with the Chief Ministers over #COVID19. pic.twitter.com/S4uxcOK0wb
— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) April 11, 2020
At least 10 chief ministers of states have asked for the extension of the lockdown that is scheduled to end on April 14.
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Delhi CM Kejriwal said: “The decision to continue the lockdown should be taken on a national level.” He further added, “If the states decide the length of the lockdown on their own, then the fight against the coronavirus won’t be effective.”
The Health Ministry gave a presentation during the video conference. Then one by one the chief ministers spoke with PM Modi.
Many CMs suggested that the lockdown should be uniformly enforced across the country to maximise its effectiveness, instead of states taking a call on their own.