Political tussle at its peak as buses ferrying migrants from Rajasthan to Uttar Pradesh stuck at the border

Political tussle around sending buses for migrants continues unabated as around 100 Rajasthan State Roadways Transport Corporation (RSRTC) buses of are lined up at the Rajasthan-Uttar Pradesh border in Bharatpur at Ooncha Nangla and waiting to go into UP. The buses have been brought to ferry migrants living in Rajasthan to their homes in UP. However, the UP government is yet to provide permission for the buses to enter its borders.

The Congress government in Rajasthan has sent the buses after Priyanka Gandhi had written to UP CM Yogi Adityanath and offered 1000 buses for ferrying migrants to their homes. She had asked Congress to make arrangements for the buses. Gandhi’s plea had come a day after 24 migrant labourers had been killed when a trailer had rammed into a standing truck near Auraiya in Uttar Pradesh. Both had been carrying migrants.

Ministers in Rajasthan government and Congress leaders have also reached the Raj-UP border and are demanding that the buses be sent into Uttar Pradesh. It is planned that 35 buses would be sent in the first lot. The labourers that are to be sent are currently in shelter homes in Bharatpur. It is also planned that on the return journey the RSRTC buses would bring home Rajasthan migrants from Uttar Pradesh.

Visibly upset with the confusion at the border, Minister of State for Medical and Health in Rajasthan Subhash Garg lashed out at the Uttar Pradesh government, “The UP government is saying that a letter has been written to Priyanka Gandhi, but that is not official communication. They should write to the district collectors of their border districts and give requisite orders. Those officials should be authorised to communicate with their counterparts in Rajasthan and take in the buses we are sending. We will send total 500 buses.”

Seeking entry of buses into Uttar Pradesh were Minister of state for Health and close aide of chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Subhash Garg, Motor Garage Minister and MLA from Wair, Bharatpur, Bhajan Lal Jatav, and MLA from Nadbai, Bharatpur, Joginder Singh Awana were present at the border.