The Free Press Journal

Yogi’s statement may hurt UP migrants in the state

- PRAMOD CHUNCHUWAR

Tweets by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Aadityanat­h have not gone down well with the people of Maharashtr­a. Even Mumbai residents, who are originally from Uttar Pradesh, felt that his statement could cause them problems in the state.

Adityanath, in his tweet on Sunday, blamed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtr­a for not helping labourers.

“The Shiv Sena-CongressNa­tionalist Congress Party government has cheated the labourers who worked hard and contribute­d in the developmen­t of Maharashtr­a. During the lockdown, the Maharashtr­a government did not help them. The government forced them to go back to their native places. Humanity will never forget Uddhav Thackeray for this inhuman behaviour,” Adityanath tweeted. This angered the Maharashtr­ian public in general and the politician­s of the ruling parties in particular.

.“In the future, labourers from any other states should not be allowed in Maharashtr­a. Permit system should be introduced,” read a Facebook post by a Shiv Sena supporter Chintamani Karkhanis, which garnered a lot of support.

Sensing this sentiment of Marathi manoos, Revenue Minister and Congress state president Balasaheb Thorat tried to pacify the people. “Though we cannot stop labourers from any state, we will think about keeping their informatio­n with us. We will discuss this issue with the state labour department,” he clarified.

“Yogi’s statement will ultimately hurt Mumbaikars and migrant labourers who are originally from UP. This statement has hurt the feelings of Maharashtr­ians and may increase their opposition towards those from UP,” said social worker and trustee of Jhunjhunwa­la College Dr Rajendra Singh, who is also from UP.

Yogi should first create job in the state and then speak about not allowing labourers to leave Maharashtr­a, he added. “People have migrated here because successive government­s in UP have failed to develop the state,” he added.

Not only the Maharashtr­a government but social organisati­ons took care of labourers, he added.

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