TMC leaders hit out at Shah, say West Bengal has seven-stage programme to bring back people

By Joymala Bagchi
New Delhi [India], May 9 (ANI): Trinamool Congress leaders on Saturday hit out at Home Minister Amit Shah over his letter to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for "not getting expected support" on return of migrants and said the state government had taken appropriate steps and has a seven-stage programme to bring back people.
TMC leaders Derek O' Brien, Rajib Banerjee and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar held an online press meet and said TMC leaders said eight trains were in the pipeline to bring back migrants and 80,000 people have returned to the state..
In his letter Shah said centre was facilitating return of migrants but "we are not getting expected support from West Bengal". He said migrants from West Bengal are also eager to reach home.
Shah said the state government was not allowing trains to enter West Bengal and said it was injustice to migrant labourers from the state.
Dastidar accused Shah of spreading lies. "How can you spread lies that we are not doing enough?" she said.
"When world is fighting against pandemic, the Centre is busy fighting TMC. Maybe they are thinking that bad words for TMC chief will help them during elections, but this is not happening," Dastidar said.
Banerjee said two trains have reached West Bengal. "Eighty thousand people are already back. Another eight trains are in the pipeline. It's a seven stage programme where everybody will come back," he said.
"This is not an unplanned programme like the announcement of lockdown which had four hours gap.When the going gets good, central government will take the credit. We request center to stop this," he added.
TMC leaders said doctors from AIIMS were going to other states "but West Bengal does not receive PPE kits but instead what we get is letters after letters".
On the issue of stranded migrants labour from other states stuck in Bengal, TMC leaders said that the state government is in touch with other states.
As per the latest data by West Bengal state governemnt, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 positive cases stand at 1678 and 88 people have died. (ANI)