Kejriwal tweets about PM's decision to extend lockdown, faces backlash

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted on Saturday (April 11) after the chief ministers’ meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the PM had taken the correct decision to extend the lockdown.

Kejriwal said on Twitter, “PM has taken correct decision to extend lockdown. Today, India’s position is better than many developed countries because we started lockdown early. If it is stopped now, all gains would be lost. To consolidate, it is imp to extend it.”

CM has announced #LockdownExtension even before PM!!

— Girin Govind (@GirinGovind) April 11, 2020

However, the Centre has not come out with an official statement regarding the same.

Kejriwal also faced backlash from netizens for having made the lockdown extension announcement public before the Prime Minister or his office did.

How can a CM make public a decision on behalf of the PM when the PMO hasn't even verified this?

What kind of etiquette is this by a sitting CM?

— आकांक्षा केसर (@kesar_akankasha) April 11, 2020

It is under consideration.
How can you break the protocol of announcing before the PMO has finalized the decision?
So desperate for Media attention? pic.twitter.com/vIq25dSKe1

— Hitesh Singh (@KingSinghHitesh) April 11, 2020

CM has announced #LockdownExtension even before PM!!

— Girin Govind (@GirinGovind) April 11, 2020

Government sources said earlier in the day that the Centre is considering a request made by most states to extend the ongoing nationwide lockdown by two more weeks beyond April 14 after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s interaction with chief ministers.

“Most states requested to extend the lockdown by two weeks and the Centre is considering the request,” a government source said.

During the video conference with Modi, several chief ministers including Punjab’s Amarinder Singh and Delhi’s Arvind Kejriwal had suggested extending the lockdown at least by a fortnight.

Related news | CMs favour extension of COVID-19 lockdown during meeting with Modi

The ongoing 21-day nationwide lockdown to contain the COVID-19 crisis, announced by Modi on March 24, is scheduled to end on April 14.

Modi, accompanied by some senior officials, including from the Union health ministry, was wearing a white mask during the meeting which was also attended by chief ministers Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), Uddhav Thackeray (Maharashtra), Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh), Manohar Lal (Haryana), K Chandrashekhar Rao (Telangana) and Nitish Kumar (Bihar).

(With inputs from agencies)