Playing petty politics over coronavirus: Amit Shah slams Congress

New Delhi, Apr 02: Home Minister Amit Shah slammed the Congress accusing the opposition party of "playing petty politics" while Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts to contain the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19 infection "are being lauded domestically and globally".

Shah urged the Congress to "think of national interest and stop misleading people".

"Under PM Narendra Modi's leadership, India's efforts to fight coronavirus are being lauded domestically and globally. 130 crore Indians are united to defeat COVID-19. Congress is playing petty politics. High time they think of national interest and stop misleading people," Shah's tweet read.

The attack on the Congress came hours after the Congress Working Committee, the party's highest decision-making body, met via video conference - to maintain social distancing protocols during the 21-day lockdown ordered by the Prime Minister - and criticised the Narendra Modi government for "the unplanned manner in which it (the nationwide lockdown) has been implemented".

Senior leader P Chidambaram backed the Prime Minister's lockdown last week, calling it a "watershed moment". However, the former Finance Minister has also taken the government to task over its "miserly" and "inadequate" compensation package for those affected by the virus.

"The 21-day national lockdown may have been necessary but the unplanned manner in which it has been implemented has caused chaos and pain in the lives of millions of migrant workers all over India," interim Congress chief Sonia Gandhi said at the CWC meeting.

Gandhi urged the country and the government to "come together for their (the poor and migrants) sake and do all we can to support them through the difficult days that lie ahead".

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, who has been vocal in his criticism of the government over the migrant crisis, urged the Prime Minister to develop "an India-specific strategy" and called on party leaders and workers to "help soften the blow by assisting the poor".