Probe role of Railways Ministry for migrant crisis: Congress to govt

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday asked the government to probe the "role" of the Railways Ministry for migrant crisis in the country, with party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help the stranded workers reach their villages.

The Congress also questioned the government on why railway bookings continued during the lockdown.

"After all, why does every disaster break on the poor and the workers? Why are decisions not taken while taking them into consideration. Why are they left on God. Why was booking of railway tickets allowed to continue during the lockdown," Priyanka Gandhi asked.


She said the workers were the backbone of the country and the government should help them reach their villages.

"For God's sake, Narendra Modi ji please help them," Priyanka Gandhi said.

"Why were special trains not arranged? Their money has finished and so have their stock of ration. They are feeling insecure and want to go home in their villages. Arrangements should have been made for them. They can still be helped with proper planning," the Congress general secretary said in a tweet in Hindi.

Congress leader Ahmed Patel said the "role" of the Railways Ministry must be probed for the crisis among the migrants.

"Why were train services abruptly stopped leaving migrants stranded? Why was railways accepting bookings despite no clarity on lockdown extension," he asked.

Chaotic scenes were witnessed in some railway stations in Mumbai on Tuesday after a large number of migrants landed up there looking for trains to reach their homes. Police had to intervene to disperse them.