The government's decision to make the poor migrant workers pay for their own train fares has faced severe backlash from Bollywood personalities. Noted names from the film fraternity like Riteish Deshmukh, Sonu Sood and Mini Mathur have reacted to the same. Taking to his Twitter account, Riteish said that country should bear their costs and train services should be free. He wrote, “We as a country should bear the cost of migrants going back to their homes.Train services should be free. They (Labourers) are already burdened with no pay & no place to stay compounded with the fear of #covid19 infection.”
Actor Sonu Sood also tweeted about the same and wrote that they should be given money so that they can survive when they reach home. “I feel the travel of all migrants to their respective homes should be totally free. Infact they should be given some money so that when they reach their homes atleast they have something to survive for a day or two. Free trains & busses should run from every state @MoHFW_INDIA” Former VJ and Host Mini Mathur in her tweet said, “Why have we been donating to relief funds if migrant labour is going to be charged for train tickets?? Shouldn’t the govts look after this?”
Meanwhile, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi announced today that her would pay the train fare for migrants heading home amid the lockdown set up a huge political row, with the government accusing the opposition party of making a big show. The Congress president attacked the government for not giving stranded migrants free train rides home, flagging "100 crores" spent on just one event in Gujarat during the Trump visit and Rs 151 crore contributed by the railways to the PM-Cares fund.