PM Modi Holds Video Conference With Parliament Floor Leaders To Discuss Lockdown Extension

The primary point on the agenda will be whether to end the shutdown or extend it and if the government wishes to withdraw it, what should be the approach.

(File Photo/ AFP)

New Delhi: A crucial meeting to decide the future course of action on the nationwide lockdown, was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. Parliamentary floor leaders took a part in the meeting via video conference. India has entered fifteenth day of the current shutdown, which is slated to end on April 14. The primary point on the agenda is to whether to end the shutdown or extend it and if the government wishes to withdraw it, what should be the approach.

Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with floor leaders of parties whose combined strength in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha adds up to 5 MPs, via video conferencing today, on #COVID19 situation in the country. pic.twitter.com/62LkzLGhYE

— ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2020

The interaction was held through video conferencing and those participated, included Ghulam Nabi Azad, leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha, and Nationalist Congress Party head Sharad Pawar. Modi interacted with leaders of those parties whose combined strength of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha adds up to five. This is prime minister's first interaction with floor leaders, including those from the Opposition, after the imposition of the nationwide lockdown on March 25 though he had held interactions with chief ministers of all states including those ruled by non-NDA parties. The prime minister has been interacting with various stakeholders, including doctors, journalists and heads of Indian missions to get a feedback on ways to check the spread of coronavirus. He also recently spoke to various leaders including Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, TMC leader Mamata Banerjee, DMK leader MK Stalin and discussed the COVID-19 situation as well as his government's efforts to contain the spread of the pandemic. He had also talked former presidents Pratibha Patil and Pranab Mukherjee, and former prime ministers HD Deve Gowda and Manmohan Singh.