‘Bengal govt not allowing entry to trains with migrants’: Shah writes to Mamata

Shah claimed the Centre had helped over two lakh stranded migrants to return home

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee (File) Union Home Minister Amit Shah and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee

The political wrangling between the BJP-led government at the Centre and the Mamata Banerjee dispensation in West Bengal flared up on Saturday.

Home Minister Amit Shah wrote to Mamata, alleging the West Bengal government was not allowing trains with migrant labourers into the state.

PTI quoted officials as saying Shah wrote that the Mamata government was not supporting the return of migrant labourers. Shah wrote not allowing return of special trains was "injustice" to the migrant workers and would cause further hardship to them. Shah claimed the Centre had helped over two lakh stranded migrants to return home.

Shah said migrant workers from West Bengal are also eager to reach home and the Central government is also facilitating the train services.

In recent weeks, the Centre and the Mamata government have clashed over the work of Central health teams monitoring the fight against COVID-19. The Centre has alleged the Mamata government was mismanaging operations against COVID-19.