Robert Vadra enters '1000 bus' row between UP govt & Priyanka, says 'let's work together'

Speaking about the controversy over 1000 buses arranged by Congress party for ferrying migrants, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's husband Robert Vadra has said that UP government is at fault.  He has alleged that it was the state government that said no for the buses. He added that instead of blocking Congress' efforts to help migrants, the UP government must focus on increasing the testing for Covid 19. 

He said while talking to news agency ANI: "People are on the road. They are in trouble, in pain, all you do is to fill these buses and help them to move. Those who are against it are not understanding the agony and pain of the migrants. They should focus on free testing. I would say our focus should be helping. Let us get together and not to do politics. With folded hands, I am requesting to allow those buses and let them move to their villages. The UP government has to be serious about this issue."

READ | Mayawati Slams Priyanka Vadra's '1000 Buses' Row; Tells Cong To Deploy In Its Own States

Priyanka's aide arrested 

Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu was arrested by Agra Police from the Agra-Rajasthan border in Uncha Nangla area where he had staged a sit-in protest demanding that buses his party had arranged to ferry back migrants to their homes, be allowed to enter Uttar Pradesh. 

"A case is being registered under sections 188 and 269 of IPC and Epidemic Act in the Fatehpur Sikri Police station in connection with the incident. Two persons - Ajay Singh Lallu and Vivek Bansal - have been arrested," SSP Babloo Kumar said. Earlier, an FIR was also registered against Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's personal secretary Sandeep Singh and party's Uttar Pradesh chief Lallu in Hazratganj Police station of Lucknow on Tuesday.

READ | Priyanka Vadra alleges 'Cong buses blocked at UP border'; concedes less than 1000 arranged

Congress-UP government tussle over 1000 buses

On May 16, Priyanka Vadra wrote to UP CM Yogi Adityanath, urging him to permit the Congress party to run 1,000 buses to ferry migrant workers back to their native place. The UP administration accepted this request on Monday, asking the opposition party to send the buses to Lucknow by 10 am on Tuesday. However, Vadra's private secretary Sandeep Singh stated that sending empty buses to Lucknow was "inhuman" at a time when thousands of workers had gathered at the borders of UP. 

READ | Congress scrambles for '1000 buses' to save Priyanka Vadra's blushes as Yogi accepts offer

Thereafter, UP Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Avanish Awasthi asked the Congress party to send 500 buses each to Kaushambi, Sahibabad bus stands in Ghaziabad, and the ground near the Expo Mart in Gautam Buddh Nagar where they will be handed over to the respective District Magistrates. Singh again wrote back, remarking that it would be possible for Congress to send the buses only by 5 pm on Tuesday. Meanwhile, UP Minister Sidharth Nath Singh revealed that many two-wheelers, auto-rickshaws, and good carriers were in the list of buses submitted by the Congress party. He called upon Congress president Sonia Gandhi to explain why they were committing this "fraud". 

READ | Priyanka Vadra's '1000 buses' for migrants in UP includes autos & bikes; BJP claims 'sham'