The State government on Wednesday asserted that there were no political considerations behind its decision to extend the lockdown.
Asked whether the decision was taken to ensure that the DMK could be prevented from going ahead with its original decision of holding a meeting of various parties on Wednesday to discuss the fallout, D. Jayakumar, Fisheries Minister, and regarded as the Cabinet’s spokesperson, termed it as “false” and said the move was “purely based on administrative grounds.”
Even though the Cabinet, at its meeting on Saturday, decided to wait till Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement [which he did on Tuesday], it was felt that “reasonable time” should be given to people before the extension. This was why Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Monday extended the lockdown, the Minister claimed, adding that the Chief Minister, in his meeting with the Prime Minister and other Chief Ministers through video-conferencing last week, had called for the extension by two weeks.
After the Chennai police denied the permission to have the event, the DMK has planned to have its meeting on Thursday through video-conferencing.
