Karnataka BJP rattled as Congress steps up game to help migrants

The Karnataka unit of the opposition Congress seems to have stepped up its political game since the start of the coronavirus pademic, to give sleepless nights to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state.

Just three days into the nationwide lockdown, the Congress formed a 15-member task force, headed by former speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar, to monitor the progress of the pandemic and provide suggestions to contain the spread of the virus.

The opposition initially pushed the ruling party to increase COVID-19 testing in the state and batted for the fast production and procurement of personal protection equipment (PPE), while also setting up the Congress Doctors Cell as a medical helpline (080-47188000) with 20-IVRS-lines.

But the party’s decision led by Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D.K. Shivakumar to help the humanitarian crisis of migrant workers, made the BJP resort to damage control mode after charging the migrants for travel.

Following the state government’s announcement on Saturday to charge intra-state migrant workers moving out of Bengaluru, two-three times more than the regular fare in state-run buses, the Congress immediately decided to donate ₹1 crore and asked the state to announce free travel.

Related news: K’taka suspends special trains to migrants, CM promises job, wages

The party wanted to capitalise on the insensitivity of the ruling government towards the plight of migrant workers.

“These are the people who work hard for the state. How can the ruling party ignore them and charge at crucial times when they haven’t earned a penny in 40 days? We are ready to beg and bear the expenditure of the migrants,” Shivakumar said.

“Despite the state sending 26 MPs to the parliament, we could not get one free train arranged for our people,” he added.

Even as the media highlighted their plight on front pages, the government failed to raise to the occasion. 

Soon after, the state which charged exorbitant prices as ticket fare including the toll, return charges, and fee for vacant seats, rolled back its decision. While they rejected the money offered by the Congress, the BJP legislators were scrabbling for help.

Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa directed the KSRTC (state run transport) to charge migrants a one-time fare and not to and fro, stating that the state would bear the operational cost.

With criticism rising over charging one way fare, the party next day announced free bus travel for intra-state migrant workers up to May 7.

Related news: Karnataka charges exorbitant bus fares, pushes migrants into debt trap

Angered by the party being put on the backfoot and clamouring for answers, Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar described Congress’s announcement to help migrants as “street play,” and alleged the party playing politics on the issue of COVID-19.

“Looking at Congress moving around the streets advertising its willingness to pay the bus and train charges of migrants, it is clear that it is a big street play. Instead of giving money to the concerned, they are making loud claims about it in front of cameras,” Sudhakar said in a tweet.

The Congress party workers hit back at the BJP saying that at least the party was helping unlike the ruling government which failed to recognise the bigger problems.

Shivakumar also appealed to all legislators to donate ₹1 lakh each to the relief fund of the party and asked people at the taluk and district levels to do the same and help migrants in their respective villages.

Following Shivakumar’s move, the party at the national level followed suit to help migrants in different states.

In a major embarrassment to the ruling party, the Congress also raided state-run godowns where government ration was allegedly repackaged in covers that had the saffron party’s logo.

Related news: K’taka announces free bus travel for labourers, Cong lends a hand

In a video widely circulated on the social platforms, an official admitted to the lapses. However, political analyst Harish Ramaswamy had a different outlook for Congress.

He said the party had failed to research and re-emerge during the crisis time.

“They lost a wonderful opportunity to re-emerge. They should have worked with the government in handling the crisis. Instead they sat on the fence for two months,” Ramaswamy said.

Even as the BJP legislators were reaching out to people in the containment zones and COVID-affected areas, the Congress leadership was missing in those places, he said.

“Anybody can give money. Why were they not present on ground helping people? The BJP and RSS stole the show and the Congress remained a mere spectator,” he added.