The Congress on Wednesday blamed an official letter from the railways for Tuesday’s large gathering of migrant workers at Bandra station in Mumbai and asserted there may have been an attempt to disrupt the communal harmony in Maharashtra.
Also read | TV journalist booked in connection with migrant workers’ protest in Mumbai | Man detained over social media post linked to migrant workers' protest
“Whatever happened on Tuesday, there needs to be a thorough investigation into it. There are some who want to disturb the communal harmony in Maharashtra and negate the State’s efforts to fight Coronavirus,” former Chief Minister and Congress leader Ashok Chavan told the media through videoconferencing.
Also read | Lockdown displaces lakhs of migrants
Mr. Chavan, who is currently the Minister in charge of Public Works Department in Maharashtra, read out an April 13 letter of the South Central Railway in which it was mentioned that special trains called Janasadharan Specials would be run for stranded passengers/migrant workers once the lockdown is lifted.
Political controversy
The migrant issue has snowballed into a major political controversy, with the BJP and the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi – formed by the Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress – engaging in a blame game.
Mr. Chavan said social media posts talking about imposing President’s rule in Maharashtra hinted at a conspiracy. “Who is patronising the social media campaigns to impose President’s rule in Maharashtra? It smells of a political conspiracy,” he said.
Also read | ‘Centre to blame for Bandra gathering’
Party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took to twitter to urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi to arrange for the return of migrant workers to their native places.
“The migrants are out of money, stock of ration has also exhausted. They are feeling insecure, wanting to go home. They should be provided with facilities. Now also they can be helped with planning, labourers are the backbone of the country. @narendramodi ji please help them, for God’s sake,”she tweeted.
On Tuesday, thousands gathered at the Bandra railway station in the hope of boarding a train. As the crowd swelled, the police took stern action, including a lathi-charge, to disperse them.
Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma too urged the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers to give migrants back their dignity and rights. “Give them roti not lathis, this repression is an unforgivable crime against humanity,” Mr. Sharma said, adding “This inhuman treatment of our poor countrymen is a shame and blot on Indian democracy”.
Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi urged the Centre to bring back Indian workers from the Middle East.
“The COVID-19 crisis and shutting of businesses in the Middle East have left thousands of Indian workers in deep distress and desperate to return home. The Government must organise flights to bring home our brothers and sisters most in need of assistance, with quarantine plans in place,” he tweeted.
