Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), here on Sunday, slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP) Union government and said it was solely responsible for the migrants' plight.
AAP national spokesperson Raghav Chadha asked the BJP-led government to pay attention to the migrants. "After 1947, this is the first time that there is migration of workers across the country. The BJP government is solely responsible for the ill-treatment of migrant workers, headed to their homes," he said.
While the BJP arranged luxurious ships and private chartered planes to bring the rich and the capitalists back to India from abroad, he said, "It didn't make any arrangement to send the poor labourers and migrants to their home states."
The 21-day nationwide lockdown imposed on March 25 was to end on April 14. But it was extended to May 3 and then to May 17. Now the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has asked the state and the central governments to continue it till May 31.
Thousands of migrants got stranded in the national capital and other parts of the country due to announcement of the lockdown.
Migrant workers have started returning to their villages and home towns on foot or in overcrowded vehicles, causing deaths and fatal accidents.
The Centre has ferried over 15 lakh stranded migrant workers in 1,074 Shramik Special trains.
( With inputs from IANS )