Mamata Banerjee severely criticised the Centre for “playing politics”, during a fresh round of consultations with chief ministers chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.

The West Bengal chief minister said that the Centre was working according to a 'script…”

“This is not the time to play politics. Nobody ever asks our opinion [...] Don't bulldoze the federal structure,' NDTV reported, citing sources who quoted her speaking at the meeting held over video hook-up.

She said West Bengal was being 'unnecessarily targeted' over its handling of Covid-19, insisting she wants to fight the pandemic jointly with the Centre, TMC sources said.

She also demanded that the Centre formulate a 'clear strategy' to fight the disease, sources in the state's ruling party said.

Banerjee, who spoke during a teleconference the Prime Minister held with chief ministers, highlighted what she called were 'contradictions' in the Centre's approach to tackling the outbreak.

'On one hand the Centre wants the lockdown to be enforced strictly, and on the other it is resuming train services and reopening land borders,' sources in her party, the Trinamul Congress, quoted her as having said while presenting her views on whether the lockdown should be extended beyond May 17.

She suggested that states be allowed to decide which sectors to open and which to keep shut keeping in mind the situation on the ground.

Four states, including Punjab and Assam, asked for an extension of the lockdown. Others, like Tamil Nadu and Telangana asked that rail and air traffic not be started yet.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said economic activities should be allowed to resume in the national capital, barring containment zones.

'During the interaction, the chief minister said economic activities should be allowed to resume in Delhi, except in COVID-19 containment zones,' a source told PTI.

The government has already demanded from the Centre that all 11 districts of Delhi be not treated as 'red zones' so that more economic activities are allowed in the national capital, sources said.

They said that the government wants that in Delhi “red zones” be identified as per municipal wards instead of districts.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said rail, road and air traffic should be allowed but under very strict supervision. He also sought a package for the medium, small and micro enterprises sector.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said coronavirus cases were expected to peak this month or in June and even July. “I've read Wuhan is seeing a second wave of cases, even WHO has warned about this. So I suggest that any action on lockdown must be taken cautiously,' he said.

In his opening remarks for the fifth Centre-state consultation -- meant to focus on life after May 17, when the nationwide lockdown is scheduled to end -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, 'Before taking a considered view, this time we decided to invite all Chief Ministers to speak'.

Modi told chief ministers that India would have to devise and implement a 'balanced strategy' to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, and the biggest challenge for the country would be to ensure that the infection does not spread to villages.

Appreciating the role played by the states in the fight against the pandemic, Modi said the entire world is of the view that India has been able to successfully protect itself from the pandemic, according to official sources.

Home, defence, finance and health minister attend meeting

The meeting was attended by defence minister Rajnath Singh, home minister Amit Shah, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and health minister Harsh Vardhan. The chief ministers in attendance included Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy (Andhra Pradesh), Amarinder Singh (Punjab), Nitish Kumar (Bihar), Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh) and Pema Khandu (Arunachal Pradesh) along with others.

Migrant situation, phased lockdown exit form agenda

The agenda of today’s meeting was to devise ways to strengthen the Covid-19 containment strategy and step up economic activities in a calibrated manner as the 54-day nationwide lockdown nears an end. This was the first meeting where the chief ministers were provided with an opportunity to speak and present their views, while union territories have been asked to do the same in writing.

Large-scale movement of migrant workers from urban to rural India and the problems their return to home states may cause in restarting the economy was also discussed during the. It has been reported that an economic package to help migrants, small and medium industries and to help revive consumption forms part of the central government’s measures.

States have asked the centre to be allowed to arbitrate easing of restrictions in case of a graded exit from the lockdown based on red, orange and green zones. CMs have been asked by the prime minister to facilitate the stepping up of economic activities in a calibrated manner.

Today’s meeting constitutes the fifth virtual interaction between the PM and CMs since the outbreak in India

BJP attacks Banerjee over Covid-19 crisis

The BJP on Monday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of 'misleading' people on the extent of coronavirus cases in the state by 'hiding' its real numbers.

'When West Bengal has been hit by Covid-19, then where have you hidden Mamata ji? People of your state want to know where are you and what are you doing? The state's people and Bengali labourers outside have been pleading you for help,' BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said.

Vijayvargiya, who is in charge of his party's affairs in the eastern state, alleged that the Trinamool Congress president 'hid' the real numbers of coronavirus patients and 'misled' people. This comes after Banerjee reportedly lashed out at the Centre during the PM meet as stated at the outset.