Trust Aam Aadmi Party to give tough competition to Congress in lowering the bar of political discourse when the nation fights a raging pandemic.
In a surprise move on Monday, Kejriwal government in Delhi announced a week-long ‘lockdown’ in a bid to curb the Chinese coronavirus pandemic. Delhi became second state after Maharashtra to announce a lockdown in the second wave of pandemic.
After having had a bitter experience during the first wave of pandemic last year when the nation-wide lockdown was announced by Centre to curb infection and build up health infrastructure, the migrant workers in these two states decided to go back to their hometowns, lest they be left in the lurch. Amid all this, Kejriwal ‘appealed’ to the migrant workers to not go back.
It is imperative to note that last year when the pandemic hit India, it is alleged that AAP govt in Delhi ran state-govt buses and made announcements to get the migrants to bus stations. From there, Delhi Transport Corp buses brought these migrants to Delhi-UP border and left them, promising them that the UP buses will take them to their respective villages. This when all the states had stopped inter-state movement and there were no state-run buses plying on road. So, in first wave of pandemic, Kejriwal had left the migrants on their own before Yogi govt stepped in to help them.
Left with this bitter taste, it is understandable the panic the migrant workers might be having.
This was not missed by netizens who also pointed out how Kejriwal, who had gone all out to help the protesting ‘farmers’ at Delhi borders has left the migrants in a lurch, perhaps because they are not votebanks.
Just because migrants don't have united vote bank and are not from Punjab where AAP wants to win in coming elections. pic.twitter.com/pnPUT8R4JQ
— Ankur Singh (@iAnkurSingh) April 20, 2021
AAP MLA Raghav Chadha had personally gone to Delhi border to set up free WiFi for protesting ‘farmers’ just few months back even though the pandemic was still raging through the country. But have now abandoned the migrants after imposing the lockdown.
Kejriwal arranges food for alleged farmers
— Mohit Babu 🇮🇳 (@Mohit_ksr) April 20, 2021
No " Ration " for Migrant population pic.twitter.com/HcUyiO7ro8
Netizens were also angry at Kejriwal having funds for arranging food for ‘protesting farmers’ but having left the migrants in a a limbo.
2nd time in 2 years kejriwal has psyched the migrants to drive them away. Had these been anarchists or protesters, he would have made super special arrangements for them to stay put. https://t.co/M1YZMbprZL
— Keh Ke Peheno (@coolfunnytshirt) April 20, 2021
People were also furious that it was second time in just two years Kejriwal managed to create such fear psychosis that migrants ran away from Delhi. That they don’t have confidence in Kejriwal government that they will be taken care of.