Published 15:29 IST, May 20th 2020

Singhvi attacks Yogi over 1000 buses row, asks why he's 'hesitating' help from Congress

Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Wednesday lashed out at the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh Govt alleging that they were engaging in "cheap politics"

India News
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Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Wednesday lashed out at the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government alleging that they were engaging in "cheap politics" by not letting the buses arranged by the Congress, enter the state to ferry migrants. "It is surprising that Ajay Bisht government is doing cheap politics. They are making us do rounds since the last five to six days. Women and children are walking barefoot with blisters on feet, in the scorching heat of May. We will keep standing at the border till 4 pm," said Singhvi.

Read: Sachin Pilot Enters Priyanka Vadra-CM Yogi '1000 Bus' Row; Says UP Govt Showing Real Face

"You are not letting the people of UP and Bihar come. Why are you hesitating to get help from Priyanka Gandhi? If you have a little shame, then stop this kind of behaviour. The whole country is witnessing such poor politics, we are saying this with folded hands. Priyanka ji has also said that if you want to flutter BJP's flag for this, then you can do that," added Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

Congress on Tuesday asserted that party members along with the fleet of buses will remain at the Uttar Pradesh border till 4 pm on May 20 to wait for the state government's nod on further movement. Following this, 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.

Read: Jitendra Singh Weighs In On INC-BJP Bus Row, Says Congress Exposed Itself

Congress-UP govt's 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.

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".