Migrant Workers Gather at Bandra Railway Station
Thousands of migrant workers gathered outside Bandra railway station demanding that they be sent home. Watch our latest news video for all the details.
Mumbai is one of the worst coronavirus-hit cities in India. Yesterday a large crowd of migrant workers gathered at Bandra Railway Station and demanded transport arrangements to go back home. They gathered there to protest against PM Modi’s announcement to extend the lockdown upto 3rd May.
At around 4:00pm around 1,500 migrant workers gathered at Bandra railway station.All the people that gathered were daily wage workers. They do not have money to survive and are dependent on charity and food given by strangers. When gathered at the station they said that they do not want to live like this and want to go back home. Local police officers went to the spot and tried to tell them to go back home as a large crowd could spread COVID-19.
Plus some had become violent. Hence the police had to lathi charge inorder to control the crowd. The situation is back to normal now. The police are now investigating how such a large crowd could have gathered.
Maharashtra Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray has blamed the Central Government for the protest by migrant workers in Mumbai."The current situation at Bandra Station, now dispersed... is a result of the Union Govt not being able to take a call on arranging a way back home for migrant labour. They don't want food or shelter, they want to go back home."
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray gave a speech and said that, “The reason is that they felt trains would start from April 14 and they can go home. Someone must have put this in their mind,” The CM appealed to migrant workers to maintain calm. Thackeray said a rumour about the start of train services could have led to the gathering.Mr. Thackeray said the State is investigating the incident and those playing politics during a pandemic will be punished.
Mr. Vinay Dubey, a social worker, had instigated migrant workers to come out on the road and protest through a video that he posted on Facebook. He has now been arrested and an investigation is going on. SImilarly a large crowd of migrant workers had gathered at Surat to protest against the government’s lack of help.
