New Delhi, Mar 22 (UNI) The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Sunday asked their Parliamentarians to return to their respective constituencies and coordinate with the health officials on the ground, to ensure strict compliance of the advisories issued by the Centre and the state government in tune with the World Health Organisation (WHO), over the spread of Novel Coronavirus.

The TMC wrote a strongly worded letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu that party MPs will be returning to their constituencies and will not attend Parliament when it reconvenes on Monday.

The TMC has 22 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 13 in the Rajya Sabha.

The letter has been signed by the TMC legislative party leaders in both Houses -- Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Derek O’Brien.

The Prime Minister himself has spoken about the urgent need for social distancing and the need to not assemble in large groups and those above the age of 65 should take abundant care,” said the letter, adding in the face of all this, keeping Parliament open “was not the example to set.”

Instead the letter said that MPs should be sent back to their constituencies to coordinate efforts for relief work.


'The All India Trinamool Congress has advised all of its Parliamentarians to go back to their respective constituencies.

As required in a couple of cases our MPs are following self-isolation protocols,' said the letter.

Currently, Rajya Sabha MPs Sukhendu Shekhar Roy and Derek O’Brien are in self-isolation.

The letter also suggests that both Houses be adjourned after the passage of the Finance Bill, 2020, preferably on Monday.

NCP Chief Sharad Pawar in a tweet asked his MPs to assist the government agencies.

“Request all MPs of NCP – LS & RS not go back to Delhi, please stay where you are and assist government agencies help citizens to fight the #Coronavirus pandemic.”

So far, India has recorded 341 positive cases of Novel Coronavirus.

The death toll has reached six.

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