Maharashtra Congress slams PM Modi for his 'scaring labourers' remarks, says Centre shirked responsibility

PM Narendra Modi. Pic/PTI

Hitting back at Prime minister Narendra Modi for his comments that Congress was standing at Mumbai station and scaring innocent labourers into fleeing to their native states, the Maharashtra unit of the party on Monday said that on the contrary, the Centre ran away from its responsibility during the coronavirus pandemic whereas Congress facilitated the return of migrant workers.

Leading the attack, Maharashtra ministers Balasaheb Thorat and Ashok Chavan termed PM Modi's comments in Lok Sabha "unfortunate" that did not behove his post. They said the Centre was trying to hide its failures.

"By blaming the Congress, PM Modi has shown his petty thinking. The Centre should have facilitated their (migrant labourers) return but it ran away from this responsibility," Chavan said and added that the prime minister's comments are unfortunate and baseless. He said the prime minister made these comments keeping in mind the upcoming polls. Thorat said that the prime minister's speech in Parliament was unfortunate and it does not behove the post he holds.

"We are proud of helping labourers from Uttar Pradesh by facilitating their return," he said. "To hide its failure, the Centre has been resorting to dirty politics," Thorat alleged. Attacking the Congress in the Lok Sabha on Monday, PM Modi said that during the first wave (of the pandemic), when people were following lockdowns and Covid-19 norms, the Congress was standing at Mumbai station and scaring innocent labourers into fleeing to their native states. "You have committed a big sin," he added. Thorat alleged that the Centre had imposed a lockdown without any preparation.

"After that, the condition of our brothers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar worsened. Those who survived hand-to-mouth were pushed to the brink. In such a situation, according to the instructions from Congress president (Sonia Gandhi), through the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, arrangements were made for all labourers for their stay and food," Thorat said. When labourers wanted to go back to their states, the railways were shut. Many died while going on foot.

"The MPCC also facilitated arrangements for nearly 50,000 labourers to go back," he claimed. The Maha Vikas Aghadi government spent Rs 200 crore to send the labourers back to their native states, Thorat said. Chavan said the Centre was levelling false charges against Congress to hide its failure (in tackling the pandemic situation).

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