AAP MP reaches Patna with 180 migrants by chartered plane

Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh arrived at the Patna airport from Delhi with 180 migrant workers in a chartered plane on Thursday. The Vistara aircraft, hired to ferry migrants from Bihar to their home state, arrived here in the evening.

"We have just reached here by a chartered plane with 180 migrant workers," Singh told reporters at the airport.

Thursday's trip came a day after the AAP leader flew 33 migrant workers to Patna, using the 34 flight tickets he is entitled to in a year as a parliamentarian. Singh, who is the party's in-charge of Bihar, said, "I used my entitlement to ferry 33 migrants on Wednesday, but Thursday's special flight could be arranged with the help of friends and voluntary organisations."

Around 1,200-1,300 migrant workers, who got in touch with him, were sent home in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar by 42 buses, the AAP leader said, adding that the remaining people will be sent by buses in the days to come. Singh had earlier kicked a political storm in Bihar by claiming that he had paid for the train journey of migrants from the state after the Nitish Kumar government left them in lurch during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kumar's Janata Dal (United) hit back at the Arvind Kejriwal-led party for indulging in "petty politics" during a health crisis. The kind gesture of the AAP towards migrant workers triggered suspicion if it was done with an eye on the upcoming Bihar polls. Asked whether the AAP would contest the Bihar Assembly polls slated to be held by the year-end, Singh said, "I will not say anything with regard to elections. I will only discuss the issue of migrant workers."

When pointed out that political opponents are saying the Kejriwal-led party is indulging in politics, he said, "I would request them to follow the same kind of politics. They should do so, please." Migrants had to suffer a lot as trains were not started in time, Singh said, adding that the hapless workers, who are the builders of the nation, were the worst victims of the lockdown and completely ignored by the government.

The Indian Railways has the capacity to ferry 2.30 crore passengers per day but so far, it could send 57 lakh migrants to their respective destinations, he added. Earlier in the day, the AAP tweeted, saying Singh has been at the forefront in helping the migrant workers stranded in Delhi with 180 of them being sent to Patna via a chartered plane during the day.

"Arvind Kejriwal Govt has sent 2.4 lakh migrants to their home states by special trains and buses," the party said.

The tweet also contained a one-minute-long video clip of Singh, in which he is seen standing with migrant workers at the Delhi airport just before boarding the plane.

"I have with me 180 migrants, including men, women and children who want to go home at this hour of crisis.

"With the cooperation of our friends, we have arranged a chartered plane by which we will be going to Patna from Delhi. From there onwards, the Bihar unit (of the AAP) will help send these people to their respective districts," Singh said in the clip.

The AAP leader, however, made a fervent appeal to the migrants to return to Delhi once the situation normalises in the national capital.

"It is your Delhi. Please do return to your places of work. This is a time of crisis when you want to go home, but please come back once things normalise. I pray to god that everything will be normal soon and you will be back to work again," Singh said in the clip.

In another tweet, he shared the tragic incident of one Ramakant, whose wife died in Bihar while he was away.

"Ramakantji reached my residence this morning and said his wife has died, his son is with him and they want to go to Bihar. His travel could be managed at the last hour. Now he will be able to attend his wife's cremation. It is unfortunate. May god give peace to the departed soul," the AAP leader said.

Singh was received at the airport by a number of AAP leaders. Prominent among those were the party's Bihar unit chief Sushil Singh, former state chief Shatrughan Sahu, state vice-president Manoj Kumar, Patna district president Brahm Prakash and Bihar media coordinator Mrinal Kumar Raj.