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‘Cheap politics’: Cong slams UP govt after row over buses to ferry migrant workers
The Congress claimed that 700 buses are standing at Rajasthan-UP border but are not being allowed to enter.
The Congress on Tuesday accused the Uttar Pradesh government of doing cheap politics by stopping 1,000 buses arranged by the party to ferry migrant labourers from entering the state.
At a digital press conference, Congress leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala and Rajiv Shukla claimed that the buses are standing at Rajasthan-UP border but are not being allowed to enter the state because the officials on the ground don’t have orders.
“The Uttar Pradesh administration wrote a letter to us at 11 in the night (on Monday), asking us to send the buses to Lucknow complete with all the papers - like fitness certificate, PUC certificate, driving license etc - by 10 am on Tuesday. Look at their behaviour - they are asking for papers, and don’t care about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the state (migrants walking towards their home). We replied within two hours, but got a response at 11.05 am the next day saying bring 500 buses to Ghaziabad and 500 to Noida,” said Surjewala.
“We replied saying the buses are coming from far away states like Rajasthan and will reach by 5 pm today. And hundreds of buses are standing at the border, but officials are not allowing them to enter saying they don’t have orders,” Surjewala added.
He then called UP government “insensitive” and condemned the state administration’s behaviour.
“Mr Adityanath, you said that service to man is service to god. When there is Modiji’s rally, you make all the arrangements like food, transport etc. But today, these buses are not acceptable to you because they have been arranged by Congress? This is cheap politics,” said Surjewala.
Rajeev Shukla said around 700 buses are standing at UP border, waiting for order from the state government to enter.
“We humbly request you to stop this kind of politics. We want to cooperate, not do politics,” said Surjewala. “This is for a noble cause, our migrant workers need these buses. Don’t take their curse, help us in this endeavour.”
The Uttar Pradesh Congress claimed to have submitted the list of 1,000 buses to the Yogi Adityanath government following which the state government sought details of the buses and drivers. On Monday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had slammed the Congress for not submitting the list of buses and playing ‘petty politics’ on the migrant workers.
The Uttar Pradesh government said that the list of buses offered by the Congress to ferry migrant workers contained registration numbers of two-wheelers and cars.
