MEA quashes Bengal minister's allegation, asserts 'Vande Bharat for all stranded Indians'

External Affairs Ministry on Thursday said it does t discriminate between states, and Centre's Vande Bharat mission is for all stranded Indians. MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava me comments in response to West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee's accusation that Centre was discriminating between states.

'Vande Bharat Mission is for all stranded Indians'

Chatterjee h questioned India's largest repatriation exercise, alleging discrimination by Centre against people of West Bengal. "Is MEA asking us to believe that re are eugh people to come from Georgia to Gujarat but ne want to come to Kolkata? Also, re are eugh people to come back to Bihar from Kyrgyzstan but t eugh to bring back to Bengal? Stop this injustice!" Chatterjee wrote on Twitter.

Tagging tweet by Chatterjee, Srivastava responded, "Will glly facilitate flights to Kolkata if state government will confirm arrangements to receive and quarantine. Will also help in return of West Bengal residents through land borders with neighbours. We hope to receive an early response on matter."

Later, Bengal minister replied to MEA spokesperson's tweet, "Bengal will welcome its people from any part of world with open arms and since Hourable Prime Minister (Modi) is talking about 'vocal for local', why can't we have our poor migrant brors and sisters reach ir homes in se special flights inste of walking barefoot for thousands of km?"

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From May 7, India began phased repatriation of its citizens stranded abro, due to various lockdown restrictions, under Vande Bharat Mission. West Bengal government and Centre have been at loggerhes over several issues pertaining to governance and or policy matters.

Locking horns with West Bengal government over special 'Shramik' trains, Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal, on Thursday, stated that state government has allowed only 7 special trains till date. He ded that while Bengal needs to run 105 trains daily, state government is planning to run 105 trains in next 30 days.

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(With ncy inputs)