Modi apologises to Indians for three-week lockdown hardships

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologised to the masses today (Sunday) for imposing 21-day nationwide lockdown – in order to halt the spread of coronavirus.

Addressing a monthly briefing, Narendra Modi termed this three-week lockdown, ‘harsh’, and said, “I apologise for taking these harsh steps and I know some of you will be angry with me, but these tough measures were needed to win this battle.

He further said, “These harsh steps have caused difficulties in your lives, especially the poor people, but I had no choice but to make decisions to fight the coronavirus.”

Indian prime minister also underlined that the most affected and vulnerable during the lockdown were marginalized people stranded on the state borders of Delhi trying to get back to their villages.

The unprecedented lockdown came into effect on Wednesday in which people were ordered to stay at home, however, essential trips to take places like markets or pharmacies.

The lockdown — the world’s largest — risks heaping further hardship on the quarter of the population who live below the poverty line.

According to Indian health officials, almost 867 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the country and so far, 25 people died.