Congress, SAD to skip all-party meeting on COVID-19

New Delhi: Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal have decided against attending the all-party meeting called by the government on Tuesday evening on the COVID-19 situation.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said Congress has decided to give the meeting a miss as it wants the government to present the facts about the COVID-19 management on the floor of the House not behind closed doors.

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said his party will boycott the meeting over no discussion on farm laws so far in the ongoing session of Parliament.

The meeting will be held at 1800 hrs at the Annexe building of Parliament House. As per the sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan will be present at the meeting to clarify the queries raised by the opposition parties.

Mr Modi, in the last all-party meeting held on Sunday, has told the floor leaders of various parties that the government is ready to discuss the COVID-19 situation and will hold another meeting on the issue.

However, Congress and TMC opposed the idea as they wanted the discussion in Parliament. (UNI)