In his third address to the nation on quelling concerns around Covid 19 pandemic, asked people across India to switch off their lights and hold candles, lamps and mobile flashlights at 9 pm on Sunday, April 5, for 9 minutes, to fight the darkness brought upon by the pandemic.
It seems the move didn’t go down well with Opposition leaders.
- Maharashtra Energy Minister Nitin Raut said in case all lights are suddenly switched off on Sunday night as mooted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there is a possibility of the power grid being affected. The discontent is primarily coming from opposition leaders such NCP and Shiv Sena.
- Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said, “Last time when PM had insisted on clapping, people had played drums on the streets. Hopefully this time they will not burn down their houses.” He said that people should be told what the government is doing to control the situation.
- While NCP leader and Maharashtra's Minister for Home Affairs Jitendra Awhad criticised the PM's announcement and said he wanted to make everything an event. Awhad said that what is being asked to do is childish and foolish, and declared that he would not turn off any lights in his house nor would he light a single candle.
- Even Raj Thackeray also expressed unhappiness over Modi's statement that people would light a candle at the behest of the PM, but his speech should have given some hope. A serious crisis has arisen in front of the country's economy.
- Congress leader and former Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan said that whenever Modi comes to give a speech, he gives a new ‘jumla’. He said that it is unfortunate that even in such a serious situation, Modi is having a one-way dialogue instead of taking a press conference.
Some of them took to social media to express their displeasure over the plea made by PM.
- Congress leader Shashi Tharoor took to Twitter to share his reaction against the idea. The tweet said, “Listened to the Pradhan Showman. Nothing about how to ease people's pain, their burdens, their financial anxieties. No vision of the future or sharing the issues he is weighing in deciding about the post-lockdown. Just a feel-good moment curated by India's Photo-Op PrimeMinister."
- Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra tweeted: "Turn out lights & come on balconies? GET REAL MR. MODI! Give India fiscal pkg worth 8-10pc of GDP. Ensure immediate wages to construction & other labour during lockdown- laws exist permitting this. Stop gagging real press in name of curbing fake news (sic)."
Meanwhile, the former finance minister P. Chidambaram said, "Symbolism is important, but serious thought to ideas and measures is equally important. What we expected from you today was FAP II, a generous livelihood support package for the poor, including for those categories of poor who were totally ignored by (Finance Minister) Nirmala Sitharaman on 25-3-2020," he said in a series of tweets.
The former finance minister said every working man and woman, from business person to daily wage earner, also expected the prime minister to announce steps to arrest the economic slide and re-start the engines of economic growth.