Chennai:

DMK president MK Stalin today hit out at Chief Minister Palaniswami for his expectation that the number of fresh coronavirus cases will slide to zero and demanded expeditious steps to procure equipment, carry out rapid testing besides measures for treatment, relief and rehabilitation.

Chief Minister Palaniswami, meanwhile, asked Mr Stalin to behave responsbily and asserted that the government was toeing the guidelines of public health and medical experts to tackle COVID-19 and wondered what advice the DMK could offer in the matter.

"We are fighting against COVID-19 vigorously. The entire government machinery is working against the contagion. Leader of opposition (Stalin) should behave responsibly," Mr Palaniswami told reporters in Salem, adding this was not the time for nitpicking but one to save lives.

Earlier, the Dravidian party chief called Mr Palaniswami's remark related to the manner in which coronavirus spread in Tamil Nadu a "joke," and wanted the Chief Minister to stop uttering such things and instead sought measures to end the spread of the contagion.

Mr Stalin said, "...it is a rare discovery on class discrimination, he should stop uttering such jokes and instead take steps to stop spread of coronavirus."

The Chief Minister had said on Thursday: "It is a disease of the rich. People who had travelled abroad or to other states have imported it (to Tamil Nadu). It did not originate here."

Mr Stalin, referring to Mr Palaniswami's remark on Thursday that the government hoped that new cases will soon be zero in Tamil Nadu, said one does not know whether to "laugh or cry."

Mr Palaniswami had said that the state was in the second stage of the spread and Thursday''s new number of cases of 25 as against higher numbers in preceding days showed that the state has managed to contain it.

The Chief Minister had hoped the number of fresh cases will soon touch zero as the rate of people getting cured was also increasing.

Citing statistics related to samples tested and results awaited, Mr Stalin in a statement wanted to know from the government what percentage the tested people constituted when the population of Tamil Nadu was taken into account.

Apparently, he wanted more people tested as part of efforts to curb the spread of contagion.

According to a bulletin on Thursday, as many as 26,005 samples have been tested and 1,267 people have so far turned positive and as per census data of 2011 the State has a population of 7.21 crore.

The DMK chief alleged that despite his party and others telling the government to buy testing kits and speed uptesting at a massive pace it was not heeded.

Mr Stalin said rather than spending time in replying to him, the Chief Minister should take steps to expeditiously procure requisite medical equipment, testing kits and go in for rapid testing and ensure appropriate treatment to the infected besides relief and rehabilitation to the affected the people.

To a question that included DMK holding a meet in Chennai on Thursday on COVID-19 to offer consultations to the government, Mr Palaniswami wondered what advice the DMK or other parties could offer.

"What advice could they give? Tell me, are they doctors? The advice is given by medical experts and only if we follow their advice the spread of the contagion can be stopped. What politicians can say on this issue," the Chief Minister asked.

The guidelines of a panel of medical experts, Union Health Ministry, and the World Health Organisation were being followed, Mr Palaniswami said and wanted to know what was wrong in the government's approach to tackle coronavirus.

"This is an issue involving public health and medical experts and the government is following their guidelines fully," he added.

Avoiding naming the DMK explicitly, he said "they want to project themselves and try to politicise the issue, it will not happen."

Asserting that tackling the COVID-19 situation was the prime task on hand, Mr Palaniswami said the government would not go into the Opposition's claims on the issue.

"We are not going to bother about it, there is no need to reply to him (Stalin). People's lives are important. There is nothing to politicise here," he said and appealed to the Opposition parties to extend cooperation to the government and stand with the affected people.

World

Coronavirus has spread to 185 countries. The total confirmed cases worldwide are 21,71,691 and 1,46,197 have died; 14,71,252 are active cases and 5,54,242 have recovered as on April 17, 2020 at 5:34 pm.

India

In India, there are 13,835 confirmed cases including 452 deaths. The number of active cases is 11,616 and 1,767 have recovered as on April 17, 2020 at 5:00 pm.