Won't tolerate alleged 'attacks' on migrants: Bihar Dy CM Tejashwi Yadav asks Centre to intervene

Patna: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday said that both Bihar and Tamil Nadu governments will not tolerate alleged ‘attacks’ on migrant labourers and urged the Centre to take steps to resolve the matter.

"The Bihar government is serious in this matter. Hence, a team has been sent to Tamil Nadu. Both Bihar and Tamil Nadu governments will not tolerate this," said Yadav while speaking to media persons. The Deputy Chief Minister further said that the Bihar government has sent a team to find the truth.

"A newspaper has reported that the Bihar BJP chief called the Tamil Nadu BJP chief who told him that no such incident has taken place in Tamil Nadu. Our government has sent a team to find the truth. Some districts in TN have issued helpline numbers for migrant workers," he said on migrant workers issue.

"Can you see any concern from the Government of India in this matter? GoI should take steps to resolve this matter between the two states," Yadav added. 

Meanwhile, the Police and Tiruppur administration of Tamil Nadu conducted a meeting with representatives of business and industry associations and migrant workers over the issue of alleged attacks on migrants. KM Subramanian, Tiruppur Exporters` Association said that there are good relations between local and migrant labourers.

"Today, we have a meeting with a high-level committee on the migrant labourers’ issue. Fake news is being spread on social media by some people. There are good relations between local and migrant labourers," said Subramanian.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Balamurugan, IAS, Secretary, Rural Development Department, Bihar, in Tiruppur said that Tamil Nadu and Bihar governments are making all efforts for the safety of migrant workers here.

"We are talking to migrant workers, and also in touch with labour contractors here. You should not pay heed to rumours and fake videos. TN and Bihar governments taking all efforts for the safety of migrant workers here," said Balamurugan.

Bihar Association in Tamil Nadu also held a meeting with migrant workers who are working in Chennai, amid rumours of alleged attacks.

"I am living safely here. Videos circulating on social media are fake. My family back home has been concerned about my safety ever since the news started circulating but I have reassured them about my safety," said Santosh Kumar, a migrant worker from Bihar in Chennai.

A day after Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party chief K Annamalai held the ruling DMK party responsible for the ongoing stir over alleged attacks on migrant labourers in the state, the police have booked him on charges of inciting violence and promoting enmity between groups.

The Cyber Crime Division have booked the BJP state unit chief under sections of inciting violence and promoting enmity between groups among others. As per officials, a case is also registered against the BJP Bihar Twitter account holder over the incident.

Annamalai yesterday released a statement on the migrant labourers’ issue saying they are safe in Tamil Nadu but the Chief Minister Stalin led-Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its alliance party leaders are the reason for the hate against them.

He also opposed the spread of false news on the attack on the people from Bihar in the state, saying that Tamils don’t support "separatism" and "vile hatred" against north Indians. Besides Annamalai, the Tamil Nadu police have also booked four persons including a BJP spokesperson Prashant Umrao and two journalists.

Prashant Umrao, an Editor with Dainik Bhaskar, a Patna-based journalist, owner of `Tanvir Post` Twitter handle Mohammad Tanvir, and Shubam Shukla were booked at different police stations on the charges of spreading "false" news regarding attacks on migrant labourers in Tamil Nadu.

A statewide panic was created among migrant workers, working in Tamil Nadu, after several purported videos, showing attacks on migrant workers, circulated on social media. The panic was triggered after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday, raised concerns and took note of the purported videos of "attacks". The panic affected the industries in Tamil Nadu, which rely on migrant workers, badly as many workers stayed off work. 

Taking cognizance of the panic, Tamil Nadu’s Director General of Police Sylendra Babu released a statement, saying that the video doing rounds of social media was "false" and "mischievous".

"Somebody in Bihar posted false and mischievous videos saying that migrant workers were attacked in Tamil Nadu. Two videos were posted. Both are false as these incidents happened at an earlier date in Tiruppur and Coimbatore. One was a clash between two groups of migrant workers from Bihar while another was from a clash between two local residents in Coimbatore," the top cop said. The DGP also said that the persons behind this rumour-driven panic will not be spared.