Congress has called a virtual meet of Opposition parties to discuss the way forward in the COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdown environment.
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Here are the latest updates:
3.50 pm | Opposition Meet
The Opposition meet is attended by Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, and Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren.
Other leaders include NCP chief Sharad Pawar, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, DMK’s M.K. Stalin, CPI(M) chief Sitaram Yechury and CPI D. Raja.
Leaders of 22 parties are attending in all.
They also pass a resolution to condole the loss of lives by cyclone Amphan.
3.45 pm | Opposition Meet
Defining image of the pandemic is lakhs of migrants walking home: Sonia
Addressing a virtual meet of Opposition leaders, Congress president Sonia Gandhi says the Prime Minister’s announcement of Rs 20 lakh crore package has turned out to be a “cruel joke.”
“The initial optimism of the Prime Minister that the war against the virus would conclude in 21 days has turned out to be misplaced,” she says.
“The defining image of the pandemic has been the lakhs of migrant workers, many with children, walking hundreds of kilometres, without money, food or medicines, desperate to reach their home States.
“Apart from the plight of the migrant workers, those who have been cruelly ignored include the 13 crore families in the bottom half of the population, namely – the tenant farmers and landless agricultural workers; the laid off or retrenched workers and employees; the shopkeepers and the self-employed; the 5.8 crore out of the 6.3 crore MSMEs; and organized industries, including the large businesses, that drive our country’s growth.
“Far from offering succour and support, the government has embarked on a wild adventure of so-called reforms including a grand clearance sale of PSUs and repeal of labour laws. There is not even a pretence of consultation with stakeholders or debate in Parliament.”
The government has also abandoned any pretence of being a democratic government. All power is now concentrated in one office, the PMO. The spirit of Federalism which is an integral part of our Constitution is all but forgotten, she says.
2.30 pm
MHA has allowed limited category of OCI card holders to come to India.
Those allowed include children of OCI card holders, university students, couples where one spouse is an OCI and other is an Indian, OCI who wish to come here for emergencies like death in the family.
The visit of OCI card holders to India was banned since March in wake of COVID-19 pandemic. – Vijaita Singh
2.10 pm | Puducherry
Three-fold increase of COVID-19 cases in Puducherry
With two more COVID-19 cases reported in Puducherry on Friday, the tally of active cases has gone up to 24 in the UT.
Health officials said there had been an over three-fold increase in cases in the past week since lockdown norms were further eased and the arrival of residents stuck in other States and in the Gulf.
Both new cases are women. While a 43-year-old woman in Periyakalapet in home quarantine since a visit to Chennai on May