PM Modi Likely To Announce Decision On Extending Nationwide Lockdown On Sunday Evening

Prime Minister on April 12 will once again speak to people of the country and announce whether the ongoing 21-day PAN-India lockdown will be extended beyond April 14 or not.

There is a strong buzz that PM Modi may address the nation, once again, on April 12. (File Photo/ AFP)

New Delhi: After days of speculations and feedback from state government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to announce the decision of extending the nationwide lockdown in the wake Coronavirus outbreak on Sunday evening. According to souces, the Prime Minister on April 12 will once again speak to people of the country and announce whether the ongoing 21-day PAN-India lockdown will be extended beyond April 14 or not. It is being said that PM Modi will take a final call on extension of lockdown when he interacts with Chief Ministers of all states on Saturday via video conferencing. There have been indications that the Central government is mulling an extension of lockdown across the country after several states approached the Prime Minister and pitched for the same to contain the significant rise in Covid-19 cases.

In his last meeting with the CMs, PM Modi talked about a common exit plan and asked all CMs to form a task force who will give suggestions. On April 11, all Chief Ministers will be back with the suggestions their task force have given them. PM Modi on Wednesday told all the floor leaders of various parties in the Parliament that the kind of response and suggestions he has received does not indicate that the lockdown should be lifted. ALSO WATCH | Punjab CM Amarinder Singh Hints Extension Of Coronavirus Lockdown In State Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao earlier made a strong case for the extension of the ongoing lockdown. He also cited reports of the Boston Consulting Group survey, which asked for ruthless measures like extension of the lockdown till June. There is a strong buzz that PM Modi may address the nation, once again, on April 12, after a consensus on the future of shutdown is reached during the CMs conference. India is on a 21 day nationwide total shutdown that ends on April 14. The unusual move was taken to contain the spread of the deadly Coronavirus. As of Friday afternoon, positive cases of Coronavirus in India surged past 6,400 mark while almost 200 died due to the illness.