Congress claims Rajasthan confirms more than 1000 buses details, questions UPCC Chief arrest

Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said that the Rajasthan government has the details of all 1000 buses sent to Uttar Pradesh government to ferry migrant workers. He also demanded the immediate release of Ajay Kumar Lallu.

New Delhi:In continuation to buses row, Congress party, on Sunday, claimed that Rajasthan authority has confirmed about 1000 bus details which was sent to Uttar Pradesh Government, seeking permission to help stranded migrant labourers amid Coronavirus induced nationwide lockdown.

"Today, the Transport Commissioner of Rajasthan has confirmed that there were details of more than 1000 buses in that list. We want to ask, on what basis did the state government arrested our Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee Chief?" asked Congress leader Rajiv Shukla, while addressing a press conference.

The UPCC Chief Ajay Kumar Lallu was arrested by the Lucknow police, soon after he got bail from Agra administration, on the charges of providing "misinformation" regarding the buses. Calling it "misconduct" of UP government, Congress demanded immediate release of Ajay Kumar Lallu.

Speaking over the matter, UP Congress leader, Aradhana Mishra stated, "He is an elected MLA. He should be treated like a political prisoner, not as any other criminal. Arresting UP Congress Chief is an insensitive and undemocratic step taken by the state government."

She alleged UP Government for misleading the opposition party members regarding Ajay Kumar Lallu's arrest. "It is very unfortunate that just to play petty politics in this matter, the state government has imposed certain charges upon him which even have a clause of life imprisonment. We would approach the court on Tuesday seeking for his bail," said Mishra.

Congress also put allegations over the BJP-led UP Government saying that many other party leaders have got arrested while helping migrant labourers amid the crisis. "We were just following the instructions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help migrant labourers. Our leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra offered to help UP Government by seeking permission to ply 1000 buses for the stranded migrant labourers, but they refused, believing it as a political gain," said Rajiv Shukla.

Aradhana Mishra also attacked the UP Government over it's recent order on banning cellphones in isolation wards. She said, "This decision has been taken because the state government doesn't want that the reality of their mismanagement will come out. We have received many videos of these quarantine centers which proves that there is total chaos in these centers."