A day after the Congress slammed the Karnataka and Gujarat governments over the migrants being forced to remain in the state, differences emerged in the ruling coalition in Maharashtra, where Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Majeed Memon has said transportation of migrant labourers has created confusion and those who want to stay should be allowed to stay back.
Memon said that work activities were gradually though partially reopening, the transportation of migrant labourers was creating confusion.
"Now that the work activities are gradually though partially reopening, transportation of migrant labourers is creating confusion. Those who want to stay where they are in anticipation of resumption of work should be allowed to remain where they are," Memon tweeted.
Congress treasurer Ahmed Patel on Wednesday had alleged that business lobbies are ensuring that state governments don't permit migrants to go home after the Karnataka government cancelled the special trains for them. The Congress leader said that it is "feudal" and a violation of the fundamental rights.
Ahmed Patel tweeted, "First Karnataka and now Gujarat, some business lobbies are ensuring state govt doesn't permit migrants to return to their families."
The Congress leader said that this is a violation of their fundamental rights.
"To hold them against their will is a violation of human and fundamental rights Its a feudal mindset. Do migrants not get a choice because they are poor?" said Patel.
Meanwhile the Maharashtra unit of the Congress party has paid for the tickets of 4,627 migrants who travelled from Maharashtra to Bihar in the past couple of days, said state party chief and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat here on Thursday, the party paid for tickets of 2,019 migrants who took trains from Nagpur to Muzaffarpur and Wardha to Patna.
( With inputs from IANS )