The Congress on Tuesday accused the BJP and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of indulging in "cheap politics" and "doublespeak" by not allowing its buses to ferry migrants stranded at the borders.
The party's reaction came after the Uttar Pradesh government said the list of 1,000 buses offered by the Congress to ferry migrant workers contained registration numbers of autorickshaws and cars, while 297 of the buses lacked either a fitness certificate or valid insurance papers.
Hitting back, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the UP government "has crossed all limits", and three days have already been lost to this political grandstanding during which people have died walking on the roads.
Noting that the state government has said that 879 of the 1049 buses provided by the Congress are fit to ply, she said they should be allowed to ferry migrants back to their home without any further delay.
"Yogi Adityanath ji you can place BJP banner on these buses if you wish. You can paste your posters but please do not reject our spirit of service," she tweeted.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala urged Adityanath to come to the aid of migrants by immediately granting permission to the buses made available by the Congress in this regard and not "create hurdles instead".
He also alleged that the chief minister was insensitive as he was embroiling migrants in cheap and petty politics.
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"Kindly put a stop on cheap politics and not be insensitive and inhumane towards the plight of migrants. Kindly allow buses to ply migrants home and help them instead of embroiling them in cheap and petty politics," Surjewala told an online press conference.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that the UP administration has stopped over 500 of the buses at Unchha Nangla Border for hours.
"Over 300 buses are reaching the Delhi border also. Kindly allow these 879 buses to ferry migrants. Tomorrow we will provide you a fresh list of 200 buses. You can verify this list also. People are anguished. People are in pain. We cannot afford any further delay," she also said.
Another party spokesperson Surpriya Shrinate alleged that theO officers were threatening owners of these buses.
"This is clear double standards," she said.
Congress leader Rajeev Shukla said the Uttar Pradesh government was insensitive towards migrants' plight and was unnecessarily creating hurdles in ferrying them safely back home.
Another party leader Rajeev Satav said it is clear that the BJP governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh were only indulging in cheap politics and this was an example of their "failed governance".
There has been a back and forth exchange of communication between the Congress and the UP government over plying of 1,000 buses provided by the party to ferry migrants home. After the opposition party made available a list of the buses, the Uttar Pradesh government sought their inspection in Lucknow and then at Gautam Buddha Nagar and Noida.
Some conditions were also put by the UP government before plying of the buses by Congress.
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