PM's address lacked announcements to bring 'relief' to people on economic front: DMK

The opposition DMK in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the people on the extension of the national coronavirus lockdown lacked any announcements that would bring 'relief' to them on the economic front.

NDA constituent PMK welcomed the extension of the lockdown, saying it was 'inevitable.'

DMK President MK Stalin said there were many questions in the minds of people and asked the Prime Minister "when are you going to make an address which will provide relief" to people with such queries.

Responding to Modi's announcement on the extension of the lockdown till May 3 as part of India's fight against COVID19, Stalin, however, said there was no other option other than such a prohibitory order as all the affected persons have not been able to be traced while not all the infected could be quarantined.

The PM's address on Tuesday has turned out to be an awareness with his seven-point advice to the people, he said.

"At the same time, people of the country don't expect just advice from him (but) relief assistance that would enable their survival, help in kind and cash," Stalin said in a statement.

"No such announcements were there in the PM's addresses so far, and not today as well," the state Leader of Opposition said.

While people confined indoors wanted to know what kind of sops, assistance and 'mercy' the government would give and show them, there was only "disappointment," from the latter, he added.

While people will protect themselves from the spread of the disease, the government should have announced its economic plans to safeguard them, he said.

Many in the country made a living on a daily basis and the lockdown had severely impacted them.

Referring to Congress leader P Chidambaram's statement that remonetising the poor would cost only Rs 65,000 crore, Stalin asked why the Centre could not see the logic in this.

China had come out of the pandemic because while people stayed indoors, the government delivered all necessary assistance to them, he said.

The Centre had not granted Tamil Nadu's demand of funds towards various efforts in its fight against COVID19, even as provision of local area development funds of MPs has been suspended, Stalin said, adding, these were the issues to which people wanted the PM's response.

"All I want to ask is when are you going to answer people's questions that would serve as a relief to them," Stalin added.

Meanwhile, BJP ally PMK welcomed the extension of the lockdown.

Party's Youth Wing leader and Rajya Sabha member Anbumani Ramadoss said the move was taken with the aim of protecting people and therefore a welcome one.

"With the spread of coronavirus showing no signs of abating in Tamil Nadu, the extension of the lockdown in inevitable," he said in a statement.

He urged the citizens to strictly follow the prohibitory orders and wear masks compulsorily when they venture out.