Coronavirus outbreak: Did Telangana CM KCR's press meet score political mileage?

Hyderabad, Mar 25: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Tuesday called for a press conference and said that he will have no option but to provide order to shoot-at-sight if people fail to stay at home during the lockdown period.

"Do not create a situation where government is left with no option but to give shoot-at-sight orders to the police,"CM KCR said.

This press conference came ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi address the nation and called for a 21 days lockdown.

Reacting to this, Telangana BJP chief spokesperson K Krishna Saagar Rao said, "CM KCR's hurried press conference minutes before a pre-scheduled address by PM Narendra Modi to the nation highlights KCR's urgency to score political mileage, even in the midst of a massive national health crisis."

He further went on to say that BJP finds CM KCR's press conference statements in direct conflict with the call given by PM Narendra Modi.

"It's essential that the Chief Minister re-convene a press conference at the earliest and clarify the state government's plan to execute the national plan to the people of Telangana State," the BJP chief spokesperson said.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a complete lockdown across the country for 21 days from Tuesday midnight. He further asserted that this is necessary for a decisive battle against the novel coronavirus outbreak.

In his second address to the nation, Modi said the decision would have an economic cost but saving people's lives is of the paramount interest to his government.