Multiplication has become a buzzword in the novel Coronavirus catastrophe. It is often used to describe the ups and downs in the spread of the virus and also used to show the intensity of the politics during the pandemic. In Sunday's address to the state, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that though the virus hasn't multiplied much in Maharashtra so far, the coming weeks could see it grow more. He indicated that politics over COVID-19, supposedly involving the BJP, a principal Opposition party in the state and the ruling one at the Centre, had also multiplied. He stated that he would not respond in the same vein because saving lives was his priority.

And as he 'cautioned' the BJP to stay off him 'because the people of the state had strong faith in his government', the CM discussed a development that the BJP also sees as the Narendra Modi opponents' attempt to politicise the pandemic. Thackeray mentioned a virtual meeting of 22 non-BJP parties that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi presided over on Saturday to plan a joint attack against the Centre's handling of the health crisis and lockdown. The meeting finalised an 11-point charter of demands, with a cautionary note that "this is neither the time for the government at the Centre to indulge in showmanship nor one-upmanship".