New Delhi: Blaming the Centre and the various state governments for not paying heed to the warning given by the Congress, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday accused the Centre for shedding crocodile tears over death of migrant workers who were run over by a train in Maharashtra.
In a series of tweets, Chidambaram said that the Congress had been constantly raising the issue of migrant workers, who have been stranded without a job, money or food, and demanded that workers who desired to go back to their home states should be facilitated to do so.
‘‘Congress was the first to raise the issue of migrant workers locked down without a job or money or grain. Congress was the first to demand that cash and grain must be given to the poorest 50 per cent of families, which would have covered the migrant workers. The government did not pay heed to our call. Congress was the first to demand that migrant workers who desired to go back to their home states should be facilitated to do so. Central government dragged its feet for 38 days,’’ the former finance minister tweeted.
‘‘Congress was the first to draw attention to the fact that despite trains and buses, thousands of migrant workers are trekking back home. No one paid heed to our warning. Now, the government is shedding crocodile tears for the migrant workers who were killed by a train. The tragedy on our highways and railway tracks is visible every day to all, except the governments,’’ he added.
Sixteen migrant workers were mowed down by a cargo train in Aurangabad on Friday morning. (UNI)
