Modi calls all-party meeting on April 8

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called an all-party meeting on Wednesday, April 8, to discuss the situation arising out of the outbreak of the coronavirus

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called an all-party meeting on Wednesday, April 8, to discuss the situation arising out of the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, days after the Centre announced a three-week nationwide lockdown to prevent its spread.

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This will be the PM’s first meeting with political party leaders after the outbreak that has paralysed nations across the world after its onset in China towards the end of 2019.

A letter from parliamentary affairs minister Prahlad Joshi said only the floor leaders of parties that have more than five members of Parliament would be invited to participate in the meeting. Keeping in mind the need for social distancing and travel restrictions that may prevent the invitees from being present physically at the meeting, it will be in the form of a video conference.

The government’s decision to restrict the meeting to floor leaders and not invite party leaders has disappointed some parties. A senior Trinamool Congress leader indicated that the party may skip the meeting, but the main opposition party, Congress, is expected to attend

Joshi personally called up different floor leaders on Saturday evening to request them to attend the meeting. Trinamool’s Lok Sabha floor leader Sudip Bandopadhyay told him that he would be busy in his constituency.

“The need of the hour is to stay in the constituency and help the state government. The Centre’s top priority should be to help the states with a financial package. West Bengal government is working hard but desperately needs funds from the Centre,” Bandopadhyay said.

Given that the Congress has been consistently urging the Prime Minister to hold a video conference with all political parties, its floor leaders are likely to attend the meeting.

Joshi called up both the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir ranjan Chowdhury and sought their participation.

The government has also conveyed to the Congress that the video conference will not be limited to parties with five MPs but even smaller parties will be invited.

“We expected this initiative from the government side much earlier, but still better late than never. We have right from the beginning extended our whole-hearted support to the Centre and state governments {in their efforts} to deal with the crisis,” a senior party functionary said on condition of anonymity.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, one of the many leaders demanding an all-party meeting, said it should have been held earlier.

Yechury said, “Let’s all be clear that it’s not the government alone that is fighting against Corona. It is a joint, united fight of India and Indian people against Covid. And all that the Centre needs to do now is to give more money to the states. Also, on issues such as migrant workers’ crisis, the Centre should have taken the states on board.”

Many opposition leaders have been seeking an all-party meeting with the PM on the pandemic that has had far-reaching and devastating effect on lives and livelihoods.

At the meeting, PM Modi will seek suggestions from political parties on the road map towards containing the deadly virus,government officials said.

The meeting will start at 11am with Modi’s opening remarks in which he will appraise party leaders of the steps his government has taken so far to contain the coronavirus . According to the plan, only one leader from each party will be allowed to speak.

According to one official, the meeting will also be an opportunity to build a broad political consensus on India’s fight against Covid-19.

Apart from Modi, home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh, parliamentary affairs minister Joshi and leader of the Rajya Sabha, Thawar Chand Gehlot, are also expected to be present at the meeting by video conference.

Modi had on March 24 declared a three-week nationwide lockdown aimed at stemming the spread of the coronavirus. The lockdown, which took effect the following day, will be lifted on April 15.