Senior Congress leaders have convened a high-level meeting on Thursday through video conferencing to discuss the implications due to the 21-day countrywide lockdown to check the coronavirus menace.

The party which has simultaneously been criticising certain measures of the Modi Government and also extending its support to the Centre in its effort to combat COVID 19 on Monday constituted a control room at party headquarters. A couple of days ago, party chief Sonia Gandhi had also constituted a task force to tackle the spread of Corona menace.

AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal said the CWC will discuss the future strategy.

"A meeting of the Congress Working Committee will be held on Thursday, April, 2. The meeting will be conducted through video-conferencing," Venugopal said.

The Congress has been critical of the Government''s handling of the situation arising out of the COVID-19 lockdown, saying it has halted all economic activity and is causing problems to the labourers, the poor and the marginalised.

The party has also accused the Government of not taking adequate steps to mitigate the plight of the migrant labour force.

Sonia Gandhi and former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi have suggested a nuanced approach to tackle the coronavirus outbreak rather than the total lockdown.

Congress also set up a 24-hour central control room to coordinate with States on steps being taken to extend help to people in distress due to the lockdown imposed to check the spread of coronavirus.

The central control room at AICC will be monitored by Venugopal comprising Rajiv Satav, Devendra Yadav (ex-MLA), Manish Chatrath (Secretary, AICC) as members for the purpose of

coordinating all COVID-2019 related matters.

It also said that state party units will update the central control room on a daily basis on the actual ground situation with regards to the spread of the virus, medical preparedness of respective governments as also the relief work being undertaken by the party and state agencies.

The party two days ago had constituted a task force to intensify efforts of party-ruled States to deal with the situation due to COVID-19 and help mitigate the sufferings of people.

The task force includes former Union Ministers P Chidambaram, Jairam Ramesh, M Veerappa Moily and Tamradhwaj Sahu.