‘Let us deal more responsibly with this issue – this is my humble request to Sonia Gandhi,’ said the Finance Minister. ‘Let us speak responsibly, let us deal with our migrants responsibly,’ she added.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met and interacted with migrant workers on their way back home, at Sukhdev Vihar in New Delhi during the extended nationwide lockdown imposed to mitigate the spread of coronavirus, on May 16, 2020. (Photo: IANS)
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday termed the meeting of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with the migrants in Delhi a “dramabaazi” and said the Congress should “be more responsible” while targeting the Centre for migrant workers crisis amid Coronavirus lockdown.
While announcing the fifth tranche of stimulus measures to boost the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic she said, “Instead of wasting the time of migrants and sitting with them, walk along with them and carry their suitcase. In Congress-ruled states, request for more trains so that more migrants can reach home. They call us dramebaaz. What about yesterday? That is dramabaazi.”
“Let us deal more responsibly with this issue – this is my humble request to Sonia Gandhi,” said the Finance Minister. “Let us speak responsibly, let us deal with our migrants responsibly,” she added.
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Saying that it is time to join hands, Sitharaman added that she is “requesting the Congress to work together in this situation. It feels sad to see the picture of the migrants.
“Let us speak responsibly, let us deal with our migrants responsibly,” she added.
The remarks came a day after Rahul Gandhi on Saturday evening went to meet migrant workers camped out near a flyover in Delhi’s southeast.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had said on Saturday that the financial package announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman should be re-worked and money should be put directly in the pockets of the people.
“Today our people need money. PM should reconsider this package. Modi ji should think about direct cash transfer, 200 working days under MNREGA, money for farmers etc. because all of them are the future of India,” said Rahul Gandhi.
Yesterday, Gandhi met with migrants in Delhi, and in the photos which went viral, he can be seen sitting with migrant labourer wearing a face mask and sitting on the pavement. The migrants were travelling from Haryana’s Ambala and were on their way back to Uttar Pradesh and some to Madhya Pradesh.
Amid the nationwide lockdown, thousands of daily wagers and other migrants have undertaken epic journeys to reach home — walking, cycling and hitching rides when they could — in the absence of any public transport and many of them had lost their lives in tragic accidents.
The nationwide lockdown, which began on March 25, was first extended till April 14, then till May 3 and finally till May 17 with a few relaxations built in.
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