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

Bollywood Actor Sonu Sood on Tuesday clarified that he was "not stopped" by the police from entering Bandra Terminus Station to meet migrant workers on Monday night. 

'I was not stopped from entering the station'

He said, "Just to set the record straight, I was not stopped from entering the station. I absolutely respect the protocols and have duly followed it. I had requested the state government for the train so that I could send the migrants back home to reunite them with their families."

The actor added that there 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 the faces of all migrants.

Earlier in the day, Sources said that Sood, who came to meet migrant workers at Bandra Terminus was stopped outside the railway station by RPF (Railway Police Force) and was asked to return back. Sources said that the 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 the platform. The Dabangg actor had to return without meeting the migrants, sources added.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh came to the defence of Sonu Sood after Sena criticized him. "Instead of lauding his work, the government (Maha Vikas Aghadi) has criticised actor Sonu Sood for his efforts to send migrant workers back home. The 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. The actor met Thackeray at the latter's residence Matoshree in suburban Mumbai in the night.

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

The meeting came on a day the 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 whether the BJP propped up the Bollywood actor to "offer help" to migrant workers from north India stranded in Maharashtra amidst the lockdown, with the political motive to show the 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 message for 'tweet & delete' netizens, calls out 'Majdoor fund' in his name

In his weekly column 'Rokhthok' in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' on Sunday, Raut questioned the sudden rise of "Mahatma" Sood on the social scene of Maharashtra during the lockdown. Raut also referred to a "sting operation" against Sood ahead of the 2019 general elections, saying he had agreed to promote the 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)