Congress leader P Chidambaram said on Friday that he supports the announcements made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, but demanded tougher measures from the government to tackle coronavirus.
“I have offered our support to the PM’s announcements yesterday, but I am absolutely certain that the PM will have no option but to come back with tougher social and economic measures,” he said in one of his tweets.
“Yesterday, I got the impression that PM was testing the waters. He should act boldly. The war against coronavirus cannot be fought with moral armaments,” he said further.
I have offered our support to the PM’s announcements yesterday, but I am absolutely certain that the PM will have no option but to come back with tougher social and economic measures.
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) March 20, 2020
On Thursday, PM Modi addressed the nation on the coronavirus outbreak and requested support of people in checking its spread. In his 30-minute address, the Prime Minister made nine requests, along with one for a Janta Curfew, in which he mostly asked people to stay indoors.
“ICMR says that the disease is still at Stage 2 in India. This is the moment to act. Let us not allow this moment to pass without decisive action and regret later,” Chidambaram said in his third and final tweet on Friday morning.
Ahead of the address, Chidambaram had sought total lockdown of cities, so that there is no community spread of coronavirus disease Covid-19.
The Delhi government on Thursday stepped up sweeping restrictions to prevent community spread of Covid-19 by prohibiting gatherings of more than 20 people and ordering the closure of all dine-in restaurants in the national capital till March 31.
The country has seen 173 coronavirus positive cases, with four fatalities.
