New Delhi: Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday slammed the BJP led central government over the tragic accident which resulted in the death of 15 migrant laborers who, on their way to their states on foot, were crushed over by a goods train in Maharashtra. They intended to go from Jalna in Maharashtra to Bhusaval, a distance of 157 km by walk.
“I am shocked at the news of the death of the laborers and brothers after being run over by a goods train. We should be ashamed of the treatment being given to our nation builders. My condolences to the families of those killed and pray for the early recovery of the injured,” the Congress leader tweeted.
His remarks came after 15 people died and one was injured after they were run over by a goods train. 16 people out of the group of 20, including 2 children between Karmad and Badnapur railway stations in Maharashtra’s Nanded division on Friday around 5.30 a.m.
On Thursday evening, the group had started on foot from Maharashtra’s Jalna. After walking for over 36 km, 14 of them sat on the railway track and fell asleep. The railways have ordered an enquiry into the incident.
The politics over the transportation of stranded migrants has increased in last few days. Quoting a media report, Rahul Gandhi said that the Railways is charging migrants for rail tickets at the same time donating money in the PM-CARES Fund.
“On the one hand, the Railways is charging ticket fare from migrant workers stranded in various states of the country, on the other hand, the Ministry of Railways is donating Rs 151 crore in PM-CARES Fund. Solve this puzzle!,” Rahul Gandhi tweeted (roughly translated from Hindi).
The former Congress leader held a live conference on Friday morning, where he spoke about this incident and the strategies that should be implemented by the central government in order to eliminate such further possibilities. He also said migrants should be given their rights, not crushed of their rights and that; money should be directly given to the poor immediately as it is what they need the most at this time of emergency.
He suggested Rs. 7500 to be given to each poor household at the earliest to protect them as for a daily wager, there are no choices and the government ought to create one for them. Mr. Gandhi said that the states must come together with the Centre overseeing them and discuss about the migrants getting back to their respective destinations and their safe entry into the states.
He conveyed that the Centre should consider the state governments and the district magistrates as its partners and should not take decisions based on their own opinions. He further said that the lockdown is not an on/off switch and shouldn’t be treated as one. The people of India need to be told the criteria on which the government is working and after the marking off of which specific boxes or checklist will the lockdown be opened. He also said that he isn’t going to criticize anyone for the lockdown as it’s already done but the opening of this can be strategic and well-executed.
The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, also tweeted on the incident saying, “Saddened beyond words to learn about the loss of lives in the railway track accident near Aurangabad in Maharashtra. My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families. Wishing a speedy recovery to the injured”.
Congress has been coming hard on the movement ever since the Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi on Monday announced that the party will bear the cost of the rail tickets of migrant laborers who want to go back to their respective states.
