Left parties including CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president and MP Thirumavalvan has written a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind expressing deep concern over the security, welfare, livelihood and future of crores of Indian working class and working people.
In the letter to the President, the Opposition leaders wrote that the nullification of the labour laws and the hard-won democratic rights of the vast majority of Indian people in the name of fighting the Covid-19 pandemic and the consequences of this prolonged national lockdown is anti-constitutional and, hence, against the law of the land.
"Using the pretext of battle the COVID-19 pandemic, drastic changes are being made to the existing labour laws of the country which further jeopardises the lives and wellbeing of the working people. Already the country is witness to the most inhuman tragic dimensions of the plight of the migrant works since the national lockdown has been enforced. Far from protecting the fundamental right to life and dignity, today's conditions are barbaric. Last night, 16 migrant workers, mainly tribals, forced to walk thousands of kilometres back to their homes with no arrangements being made for them, were crushed to death by a goods train in Maharashtra," the letter read.
Speaking to , CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said: "We have written the letter to the President opposing the annulment of labour laws and we urged him to take note of our concern regarding the plights of migrants labourers and the problems that they are facing. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is doing nothing for them in this crisis."
( With inputs from ANI )