Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday tried to reassure migrant workers who are stranded in the state that a lockdown is not a "lock-up" and appealed to them to face the "challenge" of the coronavirus pandemic by staying back.
Thackeray was speaking during a live webcast after hundreds of migrant workers gathered near the Bandra railway station here, seeking to head back home even as the country-wide lockdown was extended till May 3. He spoke briefly in Hindi as he made a direct appeal to the migrants.
"These workers were told the trains will resume services from April 14 and hence they gathered. I appeal to them not to believe rumours," he said. "The challenge is to tackle coronavirus by staying back. This is Maharashtra and we are one country."
Thackeray also spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the backdrop of the protest by the migrant workers and said he has been speaking to leaders across political spectrum in view of the coronavirus crisis. The chief minister said leaders of all political parties were together in time of the current crisis.
"Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi (a few days ago), I spoke to Home Minister Amit Shah today. I have spoken to Congress president Sonia Gandhi. (NCP president) Sharad Pawar is also with us, (MNS leader) Raj Thackeray is also with us," he said.
Thackeray warned that his government will not allow anybody to play with the sentiments of poor migrant workers and disturb the law and order situation in the state. "I will not let the situation go out of control," he said, adding that the culprits will be punished.
"We, Indians, can face this challenge together," he said.
Thackeray added the state government was working on how to lift the lockdown and resume industrial activities, admitting that the rising number of cases in Mumbai and Pune was a cause of concern.
Maharashtra has conducted the maximum number of coronavirus tests and has asked the Centre to allow experimental plasma treatment, he said.
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