PM Modi’s 9 pm, 9 minute appeal: Nothing but a cruel joke on the poor, says CITU

CITU slams Modi’s address

Special Correspondent

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked people to switch off electric lights at home and light candles or oil lamps for nine minutes on Sunday, the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) wrote to him on Saturday to express disappointment.

CITU general secretary Tapan Sen, said the workers suffering because of the lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19, expected some relief from Mr. Modi’s Friday address. “The country remains in the dark on the measures that your government is taking to fight the coronavirus, while you called upon the people to put off lights and light candles at 9 p.m. on April 5 to drive away the darkness caused by the coronavirus… It is nothing but a cruel joke on the poor,” the letter stated.

The CITU urged Mr. Modi to address the demands of trade unions.