Jitendra Singh weighs in on INC-BJP bus row, says Congress exposed itself

Union Minister and senior BJP leader Jitendra Singh claimed that the Indian National Congress (INC) exposed itself by showing buses on television screens instead of making them available on the ground. He also expressed concern over Congress "politicising the hardship of migrant labourers in the most blatant manner".

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"Congress exposed itself..."

Singh said, "I think Yogi Ji has called the bluff in the most befitting manner. He had asked for the list of drivers and buses, which is not available. Congress has exposed itself by projecting the buses on the television screen, instead of deploying them on the ground to ferry the migrant workers. I am pained that in this crisis, Congress is politicising the hardship of migrant laborers in the most blatant manner. A responsible opposition party is supposed to co-operate with the government in rescue and relief process but they are politicising the matter."

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Even though thousands of migrants were stranded and wanted to head home, a political standoff took place in Uttar Pradesh between the two national parties. 

"I am pained that in this crisis, Congress is politicising the hardship of migrant labourers in the most blatant manner. A responsible opposition party is supposed to co-operate with the government in rescue and relief process but they are politicising the matter," he added.

On May 16, Priyanka Vadra wrote to UP CM Yogi Adityanath, urging him to permit the Congress party to run 1,000 buses to ferry migrant workers back to their native place. The UP administration accepted this request on Monday, asking the opposition party to send the buses to Lucknow by 10 am on Tuesday. However, Vadra's private secretary Sandeep Singh stated that sending empty buses to Lucknow was "inhuman" at a time when thousands of workers had gathered at the borders of UP. 

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Thereafter, UP Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Avanish Awasthi asked the Congress party to send 500 buses each to Kaushambi, Sahibabad bus stands in Ghaziabad, and the ground near the Expo Mart in Gautam Buddh Nagar where they will be handed over to the respective District Magistrates. Singh again wrote back, remarking that it would be possible for Congress to send the buses only by 5 pm on Tuesday. Meanwhile, UP Minister Sidharth Nath Singh revealed that many two-wheelers, auto-rickshaws, and good carriers were in the list of buses submitted by the Congress party. He called upon Congress president Sonia Gandhi to explain why they were committing this "fraud". 

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