Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath faced backlash over his comment that state governments will have to get permission from his government for engaging workers from UP. Responding to his remark, Maharashtra politicians reminded the UP CM that migrant workers move to other states in search of jobs.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray said workers should seek permission from Maharashtra government if they want to work in the state.
"If Yogi Adityanath is stressing on seeking permission to employ UP residents, they will have to take permission of Maharashtra government to work here," the MNS chief had said.
Upset that migrant labourers were "not properly taken care of" by various states in the wake of the coronavirus lockdown, Adityanath had said on Sunday, "These workers are our biggest resource and we will give them employment in Uttar Pradesh as state government is going to set up a panel for their employment.”
"They are our people... and if some states want them back, they have to seek permission from the state government," he had said.
"The Maharashtra government needs to take such things seriously. Any worker coming here to work should get duly registered with the government as well as local police. These workers should submit their documents and photographs as well," Thackeray said in a statement, say media reports.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut refuted Adityanath's claim of "ill-treatment" of migrant workers and said the workers leaving for their home states from Maharashtra had in fact praised Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. "Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath claimed that we ill-treated migrant workers. We will send him video clips of migrant workers hailing Uddhav Thackeray while leaving Maharashtra," Raut said.
Pointing out that the UP chief minister should not forget the fact that migrant workerscame to Maharashtra in search of jobs, Raut said, "Adityanath should not have made such claims. He should now spend most of his time in ensuring food and water to migrant workers who have returned home."
"We accepted them and let them work here. We have taken care of these people not just in the last one-and a-half months...they have been working here for years. We all were living together in harmony," he said.
Congress leader Sachin Sawant too slammed the UP CM saying Adityanath is engaging in petty politics. "Migrant workers are human first and also citizens of this country. Nobody needs to take permission for working anywhere in this country. @myogiadityanath has been the most incompetent & heartless CM in the country & is proving to be the enemy of people from his own state," he said in a tweet.
Migrant workers are human first and also citizens of this country. Nobody needs to take permission for working anywhere in this country. @myogiadityanath has been the most incompetent & heartless CM in the country & is proving to be the enemy of people from his own state.
— Sachin Sawant सचिन सावंत (@sachin_inc) May 25, 2020
In another tweet, the Congress leader said, "He doesn't have the guts or vision to improve UP so much that the people there need not have to migrate for work. He only can indulge in petty politics. Now we demand that all those poor migrants who left Maharashtra be taken care of by UP govt. UP govt is making their life hell."
He doesn't have the guts or vision to improve UP so much that the people there need not have to migrate for work. He only can indulge in petty politics. Now we demand that all those poor migrants who left Maharashtra be taken care of by UP govt. UP govt is making their life hell.
— Sachin Sawant सचिन सावंत (@sachin_inc) May 25, 2020
(With PTI inputs)
