Chandigarh, Feb 27 (IANS): Taking a jibe at Amarinder Singh-led Congress government in Punjab, opposition AAP legislators on Thursday staged a protest outside the assembly here by wearing masks and carrying placards that say the government is afflicted with 'karo-na' virus.

Their protest came a day after the Chief Minister informed the House that the distribution of first set of smartphones among school toppers was delayed owing to coronavirus in China.

Wearing face masks, the AAP legislators tried to send the message that the Congress government "was afflicted with coronavirus".

AAP legislator Aman Arora told the media that he wanted to send the message that the government was afflicted with coronavirus or 'karo na' virus.

The phones had already been ordered from China, which unfortunately had to delay release of the order due to the unprecedented coronavirus problem, the Chief Minister had told the House during his speech.

The issue, he said, had been rightly raised by some of the members since the promise of smartphones was part of his government's election manifesto.