Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday held a meeting of his council of ministers in the Rashtrapati Bhavan auditorium, the first time the venue had been used for such a session.

Officially no reason was cited for opting for the auditorium at the President’s residence. Sources in the government, however, said the sprawling venue was chosen for better adherence to Covid protocols.

Meetings of the Union cabinet and the council of ministers are usually held at the Prime Minister’s Office or his residence or Parliament (when it is in session) or some other government facility.

“The council of ministers has a strength of more than 75 and so we needed a big hall to maintain physical distancing. Nothing more should be read into it,” a government official said, adding that Rashtrapati Bhavan has a big auditorium.

However, big meeting auditoriums are available at government facilities such as Vigyan Bhavan.

This was the first physical meeting of the council of ministers since the expansion and rejig in July. Meetings were being held virtually.