Shiv Sena appreciates Modi's SAARC initiative against coronavirus

Shiv Sena supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling on SAARC nations to fight coronavirus collectively. The former ally said it was a "welcome step" and the other world leaders appreciating it were doing the right job. It said the whole world should join hands to deal with the disaster that has caused havoc across the nations.

New Delhi: Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant has welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative to involve SAARC nations to fight coronavirus collectively, saying "it's a good step".

"It's not something limited to India, all nations would have to come together to address this health issue," Sawant told ETV Bharat here.The Lok Sabha MP said politics has its own place but no one should go playing politics on an issue such as this."If my Prime Minister has made an appeal to SAARC nations, it's a good step," he said, adding that Shiv Sena appreciates it.Sawant, who has been a member of the lower house since 2014, said not only a group of nations but the whole world should unite against the disease that has killed over six thousand people across the world and badly affected lakhs.

"The whole world must come together to fight against it," he said.

The Shiv Sena leader also stressed that people who have traveled abroad must cooperate with authorities and take all precautionary measures to save themselves and others who may get infected because of them in case they don't take required care.

On being asked why Maharashtra, where Shiv Sena is ruling along with the Congress and the NCP, was leading in numbers of the coronaviurs affected people, he said it was because Mumbai airport was one of the busiest airports in the world and lots of people use it on daily basis.

"Our government has taken measures to deal with the problem and we hope to contain it soon," he assured.

Commenting on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asking the government to make public names of the bank loan defaulters, he said it was a right question and the government should have answered it properly.

"Saying that the names are on a website won't do. If you have names there, why can't you produce them in the house," he asked.