Congress, SAD to boycott PM Narendra Modi's briefing on COVID-19 management

Opposition parties, including Trinamool Congress and the CPI (M), had argued that briefing to MPs by the Prime Minister other than in the House when the Parliament is in session would be a wrong precedent.

New Delhi: Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) will not be attending Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s briefing on the Center’s response to COVID-19, which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday.

The Centre will brief opposition parties on the COVID-19 situation in the country and strategies being implemented to deal with it.

During the briefing, the government will give detailed information to all opposition parties on the COVID-19 situation across the country and strategies being implemented to deal with it.

Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge said, "We did say that all MPs be called in Central Hall instead of just the Floor Leaders. Everyone must be spoken to. We had said this is done in two slots. We are not attending it as everyone should get to know (COVID situation)."

"Today Shiromani Akali Dal will boycott PM Modi`s briefing on COVID-19. It will be attended only after he calls a meeting to discuss farm issues," SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said.

Sukhbir Singh Badal along with other MPs of his party also staged a protest against the new farm laws inside the Parliament premises and said they will boycott the all-party meet called by the Prime Minister.

SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who was a minister in the NDA government before her party moved out, raised slogans: "Stop disrespecting farmers."

Badal said that they are boycotting the meeting on COVID-19 called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 6 PM. On Monday, Kaur moved an adjournment motion seeking discussion on the laws, which was rejected by the Lok Sabha Speaker.

On Sunday, Kaur had called for all opposition political parties to support the motion for the cause of peasantry. Opposition parties, including Trinamool Congress and the CPI (M), had argued that COVID-19 briefing to MPs by the Prime Minister other than in the House when the Parliament is in session would be a wrong precedent.

Their demand was that the Prime Minister should speak on all the issues in the House itself and give clarification on the questions of the members.