Coronavirus: Akhilesh questions PM's claim on screening of travellers at airports coming in from abroad

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion that the country had begun screening people coming from abroad long before even a single coronavirus-positive case was found in the country.

In a tweet in Hindi on Tuesday, Akhilesh Yadav said, "It was claimed that the screening started at different airports when there was not even a single corona case in the country."

"But the question then is how much serious and meaningful it proved. If it is true, then it should be told how the country got its first corona case," said the Samajwadi party president.

"The country would be truly benefitted, if and only if the meaningful work is done," added Yadav.

While announcing the extension of the current lockdown by another 19 days, the prime minister, in his address to the nation on Tuesday, had said the country had begun taking preventive and precautionary measure against the virus much before the detection of even a single case.

"Long before we had even a single case of corona, India had started screening travellers coming in from corona-affected countries at airports," the prime minister had said.

"Much before the number of corona patients reached 100, India had made 14-day isolation mandatory for all those coming in from abroad," he had added.