Hyderabad: AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday said that migrant labourers stranded across the country are fighting for their dignity and requested state governments to prepare an action plan to send them home to their native places after May 3.
He also faulted the Centre’s decision to lockdown the entire nation. A lockdown would not resolve the Covid-19 crisis and it does not have legal sanctity, Owaisi said.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle after handing over Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits to Mayor Bonthu Rammohan, municipal administration and urban development principal secretary Arvind Kumar and GHMC commissioner Lokesh Kumar at Shastripuram, Mr Owaisi said migrant labourers do not rely on the donations of the governments but on their earnings.
“I suggest the Telangana state government prepare an action plan to send migrant labourers home from May 4 to May 7 to make things simpler post lockdown,” Owaisi, the Hyderabad MP, said.
Owaisi faulted the use of the term lockdown. “Lockdown is not a legal term. The term is being used by government officials and others to describe a situation where free movement of goods is restricted, with the exception of essential items declared by the Government of India under Section 2, 3, 4 of the Epidemic Diseases Act. Lockdown is not the same as a curfew. One of the foremost differences between the two is that in lockdown the state enforcement authorities like the police cannot arrest persons for not following the norms without permission from the competent court. Lockdown is not a cure to contain Covid-19," he said.
He also distributed PPE kits to Asha and Anganwadi workers in some areas. Speaking afterwards, Owaisi said, “People should cooperate with our lifesavers who are doctors, nurses, police and ASHA workers.” He said everyone should follow social distancing and cooperate with the employees who are coming for screening in the GHMC areas, as most of the cases are from that place.
“Now that the Ramzan season is going to start, I request you all not to pray in mosques. Nobody should come out after 7 pm as it is curfew time. All of us together should stop Covid-19. We are together, we can stop the spread of this deadly disease. This is a critical situation for the poor people," he added.
