Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, M. Mallikarjun Kharge, today warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the proposed changes to the labour laws, without understanding the long-standing consequences on workers and safety aspects in the factories and companies, would land the country in a serious problem, like the Bhopal gas tragedy which took the lives of thousands of innocents.
Mr. Kharge, who was the Labour Minister before taking over the Railways portfolio in the previous UPA government, said the Congress was also against the so called ‘Inspector Raj’ and the unwanted controls and restrictions affecting the industrial growth, but while eradicating Inspector Raj, the Union government should not put the safety and welfare of the workers and those who live in the vicinity of the factories at stake.
Talking to The Hindu in Gulbarga on Saturday, Mr. Kharge said all measures incorporating checks and balances in various labour laws, which Mr. Modi wants to remove, were incorporated taking into consideration the previous violations by industries and corporates, and also based on the recommendations of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
He said history has proved that the existence of tough labour laws and regulations would not deter the economic growth of the country, and would also not stop the flow of investment to industries. The GDP growth during the UPA rule was 12.5 per cent. In the name of reforms and creating wealth and increasing GDP, the interests of the people (working class), who were responsible for the generation of wealth, should not be put at stake, he said.
Mr. Kharge said he did not want to see the issue of reforms in the labour sector politically, but viewed this with grave concern, and the BJP has once again proved that its interest were with the rich, industrialists and corporate sector, and had very little or no concern about the poor and working class. Unfortunately, the people, particularly the middle and lower middle class has failed to see through the game plan and are supporting the BJP blindly.
Mr. Kharge said even before landing in the U.S., Mr. Modi’s government initiated measures for the pharmaceutical companies to make big money with the increased prices of essential drugs.
