Highlighting the plight of migrant workers walking on foot to their native places, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday urged Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to give permission to the buses arranged by her party to transport them or else it will send them back.
Addressing a press conference over the politics over the buses to ferry the migrant workers, Priyanka Gandhi said, "For the last few days we have seen that migrant workers have been walking without any food and any proper mode of transportation. They are coming from several parts of the country and travelling hundreds of kilometers. Even many pregnant women are walking for over eight hours a day, while some people are carrying their children and parents on their shoulders."
She said that during the novel coronavirus pandemic crisis everyone needs to learn their responsibilities.
"They are not only people of country, but they are the backbone of the country who have made the buildings and cities," she said. Reiterating the offer of providing 1,000 buses to the Uttar Pradesh government, the Congress leader, who is also party in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh said, "Our buses have been standing at the Uttar Pradesh borders. They will remain there till 4 p.m. If you want to use them, then give permission or they will be brought back."
She also said if the BJP wants to use these buses with their own stickers and posters, the Congress has no objection to it as its only motive is to help the migrant workers. She also said that in the last three days, since the time when the buses have been standing at the Uttar Pradesh borders, over 92,000 people have been ferried to their native places. "But now we can see that the same people are walking on foot to their homes," she said.
She also mentioned the letter war with the Uttar Pradesh government and said, "I have written to the Chief Minister proposing to provide 1,000 buses. But initially the Chief Minister said that we don't need buses as it already has over 12,000 buses. But then next day we received a letter from the Uttar Pradesh government to provide the details of the buses, which we shared with them. Out of 1,000 buses, some were not fit, to which also we agreed to provide other buses," she said.
"However, for the last three days the buses have been standing at the Uttar Pradesh border adjoining Rajasthan and in Delhi and waiting for the permission," she said. Her remarks came amid the bus politics heating up for the third consecutive day on Wednesday.
Emphasising that it is not the time for petty politics, she said, "It is important that all political parties should help the people. And UP Congress with the motive of helping migrant workers after the announcement of lockdown formed a volunteer group and also started running community kitchens in several parts of the state."
She said that the Congress has till date distributed food to over 67 lakh people in Uttar Pradesh. Out of these 67 lakh, 60 lakh are from Uttar Pradesh while seven lakh are from other states, she said.
( With inputs from IANS )