Cong has no suggestion on COVID-19 crisis, is interested in doing ugly politics: BJP

The Congress has no suggestion to offer on the COVID-19 crisis and is merely interested in doing "ugly politics" on it, the BJP said on Saturday, while asserting the entire nation except the opposition party understands that the Narendra Modi government has extended the lockdown to save people's lives.

BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain accused the Congress of raising "irrelevant questions" over the issue of the pandemic.

"The Congress has no suggestion to offer and merely wants to do politics on coronavirus. It is doing ugly politics on the issue. The lockdown has been extended to save the lives of people. The entire country understands it, except the Congress," he said.

The Congress had asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address citizens on the way to deal with the coronavirus crisis and economy reeling under it.

Asking when will the lockdown be finally lifted, the Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the prime minister must also lay out an exit strategy and spell out the goal in dealing with the issue.

Hussain wondered whether the Congress will say anything constructive or will it merely criticise every day what the government is doing.

He said the government has already taken a number of welfare measures, including giving ration to the poor and transferring money to the accounts of farmers and poor women among others.

Hussain noted that the government has cut down on all its expenses, and even salaries of the president, prime minister and MPs have been reduced by over 30 per cent. The government will spend whatever is necessary to take the country forward, he said.