The Congress on Friday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his video message, with senior party leader Shashi Tharoor saying there was no vision of the future in the address which was "just a feel-good moment curated by India's photo-op Prime Minister".
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram also criticised Modi's video message broadcast this morning, saying "symbolism" is important but serious thought to ideas and measures is equally important.
He said a generous livelihood support package for the poor and announcement of steps to arrest the economic slide were expected, but the people were disappointed on both counts.
In a video message of over 11 minutes Friday morning, the Prime Minister urged people to switch off the lights at their homes and light up lamps, candles or mobile phone torches for nine minutes at 9 pm on April 5 to display the country's "collective resolve" to defeat coronavirus.
Reacting to the Prime Minister's message, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal tweeted, "Modiji, Learnt nothing about government's steps to 1) contain the virus 2) protect our medical practitioners 3) provide testing kits 4) reach food and supplies to the poor 5) finance migrant labour, the jobless."
In a series of tweets, Chidambaram said, "Dear (PM) Narendra Modi, We will listen to you and light diyas on April 5. But, in return, please listen to us and to the wise counsel of epidemiologists and economists."
Congress spokesperson and senior leader Abhishek Singhvi said, "I wish NaMo stops giving the people of India unnecessary homework & starts actively addressing the huge migrant labour crisis that has emerged in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown."