Tejashwi sees 'big BJP conspiracy' in attacks on north Indians in Gujarat

People from north India, especially those hailing from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, were targeted in Gujarat following a rape incident in Sabarkantha district.

Tejashwi Yadav. Photo: File

NEW DELHI: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday blamed the Vijay Rupani-led BJP government of Gujarat for violent attacks migrant workers, hailing from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, in the state. The former Bihar deputy chief minister said the recent violence was a 'conspiracy' by the BJP government to keep the people of his state unemployed. "It is a big conspiracy being plotted by BJP to keep people from Bihar unemployed," Tejashwi told ANI, and claimed that Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani had recently said 80 per cent of jobs in factories in the state will be reserved for people of Gujarat. He also attacked chief minister Nitish Kumar for ignoring the plight of the people of Bihar saying he has done nothing to stop attacks on Biharis in other states. "People from Bihar who are living in different states across the country are being attacked everywhere. What has Bihar chief minister done to stop it?" Tejashwi said. "Whether it is Gujarat or Bihar, we as Indians can go anywhere in the country to earn livelihood," he added. The incidents of attacks on migrant labourers from north India spurred following the rape of a 14-month-old girl in a village near Himmatnagar town, around 100 km from Ahmedabad. The police arrested a labourer originally from Bihar, Ravindra Sahu, for the crime. Sahu is working in a local ceramic factory. Rupani said the situation was now under control. "No untoward incident has happened in the last 48 hours. The situation is under control. We are committed to maintaining law and order. We request people not to indulge in violence," he said.