Chennai, March 5 : The Tamil Nadu Police have commenced an awareness drive among the migrant workers of industrial units in Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, Madurai and other parts of the state to curtail the fear that they are being attacked by Tamil locals.
This is following the appearance of a couple of false videos about the attack on the migrant workers in the state. Situation was not good in Coimbatore, the industrial hub of Tamil Nadu, where a large number of migrant workers are employed in the MSME units.
Immediately after the videos of brutal assault were shared on social media platforms, the families of these migrant workers were making panic calls to them to return to their native places.
Sufikkar (38), who is from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh and employed as a CNC operator in an MSME unit while speaking to IANS said, ” I know that I am safe here in Tamil Nadu and this state has given me everything in life. I will stay here, but my family including my mother and wife, are calling me frequently to come back and hence I am going back for a couple of weeks. I can also celebrate Holi on these days.”
The Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP), C. Sylendrababu has directed all district police chiefs to create awareness among the migrant workers in the industrial and other areas of the state and to communicate to them of the strong action police that was being taken against the rumour mongers.
A senior officer of the Coimbatore police while speaking to IANS said, “There is a clear message from the DGP that we must curtail such a campaign against Tamil Nadu and the best thing to do is to communicate with the migrant workers and prevent any exodus from the state. Of course, a large number of migrant workers are going to North Indian states to celebrate Holi. But there are some people who are trying to project this as an exodus from the state fearing attack which is not correct.”
The Tamil Nadu Police have already registered criminal cases against the Editor of Dainik Bhaskar newspaper for spreading false news on attacks against migrant workers. The Tamil Nadu Police headquarters in a statement on Saturday said that the Tirupur North police station booked the Editor of Dainik Bhaskar under IPC Sections, 153A and 505.
According to the statement, the Editor of the newspaper will have to explain where they got the news from and whether they verified it. Police said that bigger newspapers should behave in a more responsible manner.
The Tiruppur police also booked one Tanveer Ahmad of Tanveer Post under various sections for spreading false news.
In a related development, the Thoothukudi police booked the spokesman of the Uttar Pradesh BJP, Prasanth Umrao under six sections of IPC for spreading rumors. Police sources in Tamil Nadu told IANS that the BJP leader was absconding.
With the police taking stringent action and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin himself spoke to the media that strong action would be taken against perpetrators of false news, so the migrant workers can feel safe in the state. (IANS)