PM discusses coronavirus situation with Sonia, Manmohan, Pranab

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday reached out to top leaders from across the political spectrum, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, to discuss the situation arising out of the spread of coronavirus.

He also spoke with former presidents Pranab Mukherjee and Pratibha Patil, and former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and HD Deve Gowda, sources said.

The discussions with the top leaders were part of consultations the prime minister is holding with various stakeholders on the way ahead, they said.

He also called up leaders of various political parties, including Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav (Samajwadi Party), Odisha CM and BJD leader Naveen Patnaik, Telangana chief minister and TRS leader K Chandrashekhar Rao, DMK leader M K Stalin and SAD leader Parkash Singh Badal.

Amid a countrywide lockdown due to COVID-19, Prime Minister Modi will interact with floor leaders of various political parties via a video link on April 8. The Trinamool Congress has said it will not attend the virtual meet.

The prime minister has interacted with chief ministers, top bureaucrats, doctors, paramedics, nurses, Indian diplomats and journalists on the issue of dealing with the health crisis of this magnitude.