On Wednesday, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya defended Karnataka Government's move of cancelling the special trains for migrant labourers, ferrying them to their home states.
Surya said that it was a bold move by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and it would kickstart economic activities in the state. Taking to Twitter, he wrote, "Stoppage of inter-state trains by Sri @BSYBJP is a bold and necessary move. It will help migrant labourers who came here with hopes of a better life to restart their dreams. Also, it will kickstart economic activities full throttle. Karnataka will emerge out of this stronger!"
However, the BJP MP was slammed for his tweet. Congress' Srivatsa said that Surya thinks of the migrant labourers as slaves. He wrote, "Bengaluru's MP thinks migrants are slaves. How do trains stop labourers from fulfilling their dreams? Your life & the dreams of rich builders are what you care about. During CAA, u had said the poor & illiterate have no right to protest. Now you stole their right to go home also."
Congress' Gaurav Pandhi wrote, "Qn: What is Slavery? @Tejasvi_Surya: it's a bold & necessary move to kickstart the economy and it help people to fulfill their dreams for a better life! Tejasvi, just because you are happy being a slave of BJP leaders, doesn't mean every Indian aspire to do the same!"
Here are some of the other Twitter reactions:
Earlier, the Karnataka government withdrew its request to the Railways to run special trains to ferry migrant labourers to their home states, hours after builders met Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to apprise him of the problems to the construction sector in case they left.
The Principal Secretary in the Revenue Department N Manjunatha Prasad, who is the nodal officer for migrants, had requested the South Western Railways on Tuesday to run two train services a day for five days except Wednesday, when the state government wanted services thrice a day to Danapur in Bihar.
However, later, Prasad wrote another letter within a few hours that the special trains were not required.
Several migrants in the city were desperate to return home as they were out of job and money.
"Since the train services are not required from tomorrow, the letter cited under reference above is withdrawn," Prasad wrote to the SW Railway General Manager on Tuesday.
The Railway officials said they have received the letter seeking withdrawal of the previous one for running special trains. However, Prasad was not available for comments.
(With PTI inputs)
