Priyanka Vadra urges UP CM to resume services of 20,000 Roadways buses for migrant workers

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday reiterated her demand that Uttar Pradesh government should deploy the roadways buses to take the stranded labourers to their native places. She claimed that 20,000 buses of the state are sitting idle and asked the Yogi government to put them into service.

'Accidents are happening every day'

"There is chaos on the roads of the country. The labourers are walking back home from the cities with their children and families on empty stomachs. It seems as if the system has forgotten them. Lakhs of labourers are on the roads braving the summer heat. Accidents are taking place every day," Priyanka tweeted.

In another tweet, she asked the government why is it not running buses for them. Claiming that 20,000 buses of UP Roadways are "sitting idle", she requested the government to put them to service. "It is because of the efforts of the labourers that our cities got made and the country got forward," she added.

She further assured the labourers that the Congress workers will support them. "For God's sake, please do not leave the labourers in a helpless state. I request all the district units in Uttar Pradesh to serve the labourers wholeheartedly. Each and every Congress worker is standing with the labourers," she tweeted.

She also appealed to the police not to use force against the labourers. "I make a special request to the police. I understand that your work is stressful and you are troubled. But kindly do not use force against the helpless labourers. As it is they are under a lot of duress. Kindly protect their dignity," she added.

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The country is in a state of lockdown since March 25 to prevent the spread of COVID-19. During his address to the nation on Tuesday, PM Narendra Modi had announced a stimulus totalling around Rs 20 lakh crore, which is equivalent to 10% of India's GDP to rescue the economy reeling under the impact of Coronavirus-led lockdown.

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(with ANI inputs)