Mayawati, Nitish Kumar divided over UP govt's decision to ferry back students from Kota

Amid the Coronavirus lockdown which has been extended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi till May 3, a difference of opinion has emerged between political leaders over Uttar Pradesh government's decision to send buses to Rajasthan to ferry back stranded citizens. BSP chief Mayawati on Saturday lauded the Yogi Adityanath-led government's decision to bring back more than 7000 students from Kota adding that a similar concern must be shown for the migrant labourers. 

Speaking to news agency ANI, Mayawati said that we urge the government to show a similar concern for lakhs of poor migrant labourer families who are still being forced to live a hellish life away from home. 

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Nitish Kumar opposes the move

On the other hand, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat expressed reservations over the move stating that it is not a 'permanent solution' and it will only lead to panic in those families that are unable to get their children back. Earlier on Friday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had strongly opposed the UP government's move terming it as a clear 'violation' of the lockdown and 'unjust' as well. The Bihar CM had opined that after this, people from other states, stuck in different parts of the country will also put pressure on respective state governments to bring them back to their home state and so would the stranded migrant labourers. 

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Migrants allowed to move within UP

Meanwhile, all the migrant labourers staying in shelters across Uttar Pradesh have been given permission to travel to their home districts within the state if they have completed their 14-day quarantine, and have tested negative for the novel coronavirus. The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday further declared that the migrants from outside the state will have to stay at the shelters until further orders.

In the official data released on previous Saturday, a total of 1,25,989 people are accommodated in 5,241 shelters across the state. Police personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order at several shelters. The largest numbers of migrants from outside the state belong to Bihar and Nepal.

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(With ANI Inputs)