Cong announcement of bearing travel cost of migrant workers 'street play': Sudhakar

Bengaluru: Describing Congress’ announcement to bear the cost of travel of migrant workers as “streetplay,” Karnataka Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar on Tuesday accused the party of ‘playing politics’ even on the issue of COVID-19 and compared its mindset to Roman emperor Nero.

He said the Congress instead of giving money to the concerned as per rules, was advertising about it.

“Looking at Congress moving around in the streets and advertising about its willingness to pay the bus and train charges for the labourers, it is clear that it is a big street play.

Instead of giving money to the concerned as per rules, they are making loud claims about it in front of cameras,” Sudhakar said in a tweet.

“There is no deference between your (Congress) mind set- looking at politics and gaining mileage out of it even on the issue of corona, and that of Nero, because Nero was fiddling when Rome was burning,” he said in another tweet.

The Congress on Monday had said its state units will bear the cost of rail travel of needy migrant workers stranded at their workplaces due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown and seeking to return home.

Karnataka Congress Chief D K Shivakumar had announced giving Rs 1 crore cheque to Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation from the party for ensuring free transport to working class and labourers, who were suffering to reach home because of high rates being charged.

However, the KSRTC, which subsequently announced free travel for those stranded within the state, has not accepted the cheque and has instead asked it to be given to Chief Minister’s relief fund.

On Monday, urging the state government to immediately take necessary action to arrange for trains to bring back all stranded Kannadigas from other states, Congress had said, it was also ready to bear the monetary costs to be paid to the Railways.