TNW, Patna, June 05: Bihar opposition leader Tejashawi Yadav today demanded that ten thousand rupees should be handed out to forty lakhs migrant workers of the state as instant relief. These workers are jobless for last three months and it will take at least three more months to arrange work for them; therefore, the monetary assistance will give them some respite, the RJD leader said. Considering average 5 person in every migrant workers families, it will impact 2 crore people of state, he added.
The RJD leader pointed out that the Bihar government’s ‘Jan Jivan Hariyali’ is around 24500 crore project, while the monetary assistance to migrant workers will only cost 4000 crore.
Tejashawi has been quite vocal against the suffering of migrant laborers since the initial days of imposition of lock down. He was instrumental in forcing the indecisive Bihar government to initiate the process of bringing back migrant workers from other states. When Deputy CM Sushil Modi had expressed government’s inability to bring back Migrant labourers, the RJD leader offered 2000 buses for the purpose.
Perhaps, it was RJD’s decision to provide 50 trains for migrant workers that led the Congress’ party realising such need, which eventually transpired in Sonia Gandhi’s taking a call to fund the migrant worker’s train fare.
In the wake of alleged political killing of three family members of a RJD leader (J.P. Yadav) in Gopalganj district –during which the RJD leader himself suffered bullet injuries– Tejashawi Yadav blamed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar that on the latter’s behest no action has been taken against JDU MLA, Amrendra Pandey alias Pappu Pandey, one of the accused.
Heavy police force was deployed near the residence of former CM Rabri Devi’s at 10 Circular road to stop Tejashawi and other RJD MLA’s from moving to Gopalganj, after 48 hour ultimatum that the RJD de-facto leader gave to the Nitish government for arresting the MLA, expired. However, it did not defy Tejashawi, who was surrounded by his party leaders, to embark upon several hours of full-fledged political posturing outside the residence.
Meanwhile, RJD is gearing up to a ‘Thali Campaign’ that is to be held at 11 AM on June 7th. This event is organised by the party to counter the BJP president Amit Shah’s proposed digital rally on the same day, evening. Tejashwi Yadav while explaining his move alleged that instead of arranging foods for poor, BJP is preparing for the upcoming assembly election. RJD will protest against this indifference towards sufferings of people, he said.
(Writer is a political analyst, views are personal)
