As the nation is graplling with the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus cases, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called two former Presidents Pranab Mukherjee and Pratibha Patil to hold discussions on COVID-19 related issues.
It is learnt that the prime minister also called two former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and HD Deve Gowda to discuss the deadly virus and the steps taken by the governments at Central and state levels to combat the menace.
He also called up leaders of various political parties like Sonia Gandhi, Mulayam Singh, Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, Naveen Patnaik, KCR, Stalin and Parkash Singh Badal.
The prime minister talked to these senior leaders hours before millions of people across India are gearing up to turn off lights at their homes for nine minutes at 9 pm as requested by PM Modi in his address to the nation on Thursday (April 2). In his addressm the prime minister had urged Indians to stand together to "fight the darkness of coronavirus pandemic".
In a video message, the prime minister made an appeal to the nation: "On April 5, Sunday, at 9 pm, I want 9 minutes from all of you. Turn off all the lights in your homes, stand at your doors or balconies and light candles, diya (lamp) or mobile flashlights for 9 minutes. No one is alone during the lockdown, the collective superpower of 130 crore Indians is with every citizen."
This was PM Modi's address to the nation since the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak in the country. India currently has over 3374 COVID-19 cases including 77 deaths while 267 patients have recovered.
India is under a 21-day lockdown period after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced it on March 24 asking people to restrain for going out of their homes and maintain social distancing in order to curb the spread of coronavirus.
