BENGALURU: Moments after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced extension of the nationwide lockdown on Tuesday, Congress leaders from Karnataka expressed their support to the decision. The party, however, was disappointed that the PM failed to announce any economic stimulus package. Karnatak a Pradesh Congress Committee president DK Shivakumar, who had given a call to the nation to read out the preamble of the Constitution in honour of Dr B R Ambedkar on his birth anniversary at 10 am — nearly the same time when the Prime Minister addressed the nation — welcomed the extension. 

“We are ready to cooperate with the Prime Minister’s appeal to the nation,” he said, but expressed disappointment that no announcement was made on an economic package. “We were hoping for measures to strengthen the economy. We respect all his concerns over the health sector, but at the same time, people of this country want to be very stable on the economic front, whether it is farmers or industrialists or employers or labourers,” Shivakumar said, pointing out that the PM has refused to answer questions and acknowledge suggestions raised by AICC chief Sonia Gandhi in her letters. 

Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah too stressed that the Congress would support the government’s initiative. He, however, felt that the PM has failed to address the concerns of farmers, labourers and the poor. “Unfortunately, PM Modi failed to address livelihood concerns. Poor people and daily wage labourers, who have zero savings, are under severe distress. Along with the lockdown, it is the need of the hour to instil confidence among the poor people through tangible livelihood measures.” He also highlighted the plight of migrants stranded in various parts of the country with no food and farmers destroying their crops because of transportation and procurement hurdles.