Priyanka Gandhi Criticises 'Migrant Labourers' Comment By PM, Asks Did Modi Want Nobody To Help Poor?

Priyanka Gandhi on Monday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for accusing the Congress of giving free tickets to migrants of Maharashtra during the first wave of Covid-19.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra| Photo: Getty

New Delhi: The third wave of Covid-19 has slowly been subsiding but political blame game on mismanagement related to the pandemic continues.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for accusing the Congress of giving free tickets to migrants of Maharashtra to return to their native place during the first Covid-19 wave, which resulted in spread of the coronavirus in Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.

She asked whether the PM wanted to leave the poor looking to go back home on their own. While speaking to the media in Panaji, capital of Goa, Vadra said, "People whom he had deserted, who had no way of returning to their homes, who were coming back on foot - did he want that nobody should help them? What did Modi ji want? What does he want? "What about the big rallies he did?" reported news agency ANI.

Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the Lok Sabha had said that the spread of Covid in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand during the first wave was due to the Congress party providing train tickets to migrant labourers of Maharashtra. The PM also went on to the extent of calling the act of the Congress party a sin.

"Congress crossed all limits during the first wave of Covid. During the first wave, when the country was in lockdown and when the WHO was advising everyone to stay wherever they are, Congress went to the Mumbai railway station to scare innocent people. They pushed labourers to go back to their states. As a result, Covid spread rapidly in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand," said PM Modi, calling it "paap" (sin).

The attack by the Prime Minister on the Congress was not limited to Covid pandemic, he also accused the party of relying on its policy of divide and rule. 

"The party was banking on its "divide and rule" policy and had become the leader of "tukde tukde gang"."Congress policy is 'divide and rule'. Congress has become the leader of the 'tukde tukde' gang. Congress won several elections due to their 'Garibi Hatao' slogan but failed to do that. Then the poor of this country voted them out. The opposition has raised the issue of inflation here, it would have been better if they have raised that matter while their government was in power. In the pandemic also our government tried to tackle inflation."