Facing flak for baton-charging migrant labourers who were desperate to go home, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Monday issued directions to officials not to use force against them.
"I have spoken to the DGP and the Yamunanagar SP. I have instructed police not to use force (against the labourers). If such situation arises, senior officers should visit the spot to try to neutralise the situation," Vij told the media.
At the same time, he directed authorities to seal all transit routes, including pathways from fields, coming from Punjab to prevent the entry of labourers to Haryana.
Police in Yamunanagar town baton-charged migrant workers who were trying to move towards the border of Uttar Pradesh some 20 km from there.
The labourers were seen running back to the shelter home. Some of them left their luggage and cycles at the place and ran away.
Reacting to the police action, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala asked how much repression did the government wield on the migrants.
"The Khattar government is beating up the migrants by chasing them," Surjewala said in a tweet on Sunday.
Tagging a video clip of the incident, the Congress spokesperson mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi by saying: "The BJP came to power making promise to these people who wear 'hawai chappals' to fly in 'jahaaz' (aircraft)."
Former two-time Chief Minister Bhupindra Singh Hooda described the incident as inhuman.
"The government should treat the migrant labourers with empathy in this difficult period," he said in a statement.
( With inputs from IANS )