'Just to set record the straight...': Sonu Sood clarifies on reports of being stopped

Bollywood Actor Sonu Sood on Tuesday clarified that he was "t stopped" by police from entering Bandra Terminus Station to meet migrant workers on Monday night. 

'I was t stopped from entering station'

He said, "Just to set record straight, I was t stopped from entering station. I absolutely respect protocols and have duly followed it. I had requested state government for train so that I could send migrants back home to reunite m with ir families."

actor added that re were almost 2,000 people. He also thanked CM Uddhav Thackeray, Cabinet Minister Aaditya Thackeray and MLA Aslam Shaikh for helping him bring a smile on faces of all migrants.

Earlier in day, Sources said that Sood, who came to meet migrant workers at Bandra Terminus was stopped outside railway station by RPF (Railway Police Force) and was asked to return back. Sources said that incident happened around 8 PM on Monday when a Special Shramik Train bound for Uttar Pradesh from Bandra Terminus was about to leave and Sood was prohibited from going to platform.  Dabangg actor had to return without meeting migrants, sources added.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh came to defence of Sonu Sood after Sena criticized him. "Instead of lauding his work, government (Maha Vikas Aghadi) has criticised actor Sonu Sood for his efforts to send migrant workers back home. Maharashtra government should learn from UP and Karnataka on how to contain Coronavirus spread," he said.

CM Uddhav praises Sood's initiative

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday lauded actor Sonu Sood's initiative to arrange buses for stranded migrant workers. actor met Thackeray at latter's residence Matoshree in suburban Mumbai in night.

READ | Railway Police stops Sonu Sood from meeting departing migrant workers at Bandra Terminus

meeting came on a day Thackeray-led Shiv Sena launched a scathing attack on Sonu saying he was "enacting a political script written by BJP". Sena MP Sanjay Raut had wondered wher BJP propped up Bollywood actor to "offer help" to migrant workers from rth India stranded in Maharashtra amidst lockdown, with political motive to show Uddhav Thackeray government in poor light.

READ | Sonu Sood meets CM Uddhav Thackeray & Aaditya at Matoshree as Raut taunts his 'acting'

READ | Sonu Sood has mess for 'tweet & delete' netizens, calls out 'Majdoor fund' in his name

In his weekly column 'Rokhthok' in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' on Sunday, Raut questioned sudden rise of "Mahatma" Sood on social scene of Maharashtra during lockdown. Raut also referred to a "sting operation" against Sood ahead of 2019 general elections, saying he had agreed to promote BJP-led government at various platforms through his official social media accounts. Raut faced flak from Opposition BJP as well as allies Congress and NCP for his comments.

READ | Instead of lauding, Maha govt is criticising Sonu Sood for his work: Rajnath Singh

(with PTI inputs)