Centre has left 'national problem' of migrant labourers to states: Veerappa Moily
New Delhi: Senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily on Tuesday alleged that the Centre has left the issue of migrant labourers returning to their native places in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic for the states to handle despite it being a "national problem".
Majority of migrant labourers are panicky, wanting to return to their native places as there are no jobs, food or proper shelter available to them, the former Union minister said in a statement.
"There are reports coming that the migrant labourers who are returning to their native states or green zones like Chhattisgarh are carrying the deadly COVID-19 virus. The government has just allowed the crisis of migrants to be tackled by the respective state governments," he said.
"The issue of migrants is a national problem. Moreover, the present situation has led to a scramble to get back to their respective home states. Many of the states are not willing to provide any package to them," Moily said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi or the government are not doing anything either to contain the migration of labourers from the respective states or provide them with transport back to their native states, he alleged.
"When the third phase of the lockdown is over, it is important that the central government together with the state governments contain the flood of migrant labourers to revive the economy," Moily said.
If the migrant labourers return to their respective states, what will happen to the labour force needed to start the industries and revive the economy, he asked.
The central government and the state governments are just driving the migrant labourers to a "panicky situation", he said. Even the basic obligation of the government under the Disaster Management Act doesn't seem to be in place, Moily claimed.
"Mere words of solace by the Prime Minister cannot feed the large Indian populace. They will ultimately lose their patience to hear him anymore," he said.
The prime minister is serious about the present COVID-19 crisis, but actions on the ground level are different and the number of positive cases and deaths have been increasing day by day.
Expressing concern about the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Moily said many of the employees in these MSMEs are not getting salaries right from March-April and they may have to wait for another three months to get their salaries.
The government has not come out with any specific package so far to address these concerns, he said.
The government is also not applying its mind to make the Public Sectors or big industries pay money they owe to the MSMEs, Moily said.
He also alleged that the government has not come out with any schemes to expand healthcare infrastructure or take recourse to research to find a solution to the pandemic at the earliest.
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Accused gunman at correspondents' dinner was believed to be targeting top officials, Blanche says
Washington (AP): The accused gunman who tried to storm the ballroom at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner with guns and knives travelled across the country before the event and is believed to have been targeting members of the Trump administration, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday.
Blanche also said officials believe the suspect traveled by train from California to Chicago and then on to Washington, where in recent days he checked in as a guest to the hotel where one of Washington's glitziest events was being held Saturday night.
Investigators have not publicly named the suspect, but two law enforcement officials familiar with the matter have identified him to The Associated Press as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California.
Law enforcement officials who have examined the gunman's electronic devices and his writings preliminarily believe he intended to target administration members in attendance at the dinner. He attempted to charge into the cavernous ballroom at the Washington Hilton but was tackled to the ground in a chaotic scene that resulted in shots being fired, President Donald Trump being hurried off the stage and guests ducking for cover beneath their tables.
“It does appear that he did in fact set out to target folks who work in the administration, likely including the president,” Blanche told NBC's “Meet the Press.”
The suspect is believed to have purchased the firearms he carried within the last couple of years, Blanche said. He is not being cooperative and is expected to face multiple charges on Monday.
Video posted by Trump showed the suspect running past security barricades as Secret Service agents ran toward him. One officer was shot in a bullet-resistant vest but was recovering, officials said. The gunman was taken into custody and was not injured, but was being evaluated at a hospital, police said.
“He failed,” Blanche said on CBS's “Face the Nation.” “Law enforcement did their jobs.”
Social media posts that appear to match the suspect show he is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer.
A May 2025 profile photo of Allen appears to match the appearance of the man in a photo of the alleged attacker being taken into custody that was posted Saturday night by Trump. The photo, posted to the social networking site LinkedIn, shows him in a cap and gown after graduating with a master's degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Allen earned a bachelor's degree in 2017 in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. He listed his involvement there in a Christian student fellowship and a campus group that battled with Nerf guns.
The shooting at the security barricades happened minutes after the event got underway.
The Secret Service and other authorities swarmed the room as guests ducked under tables by the hundreds. Gasps echoed through the ballroom as guests realized something was happening. Hundreds of journalists immediately got on phones to call in information.
“Out of the way, sir!” someone yelled. Others yelled to duck. From one corner, a “God Bless America” chant began as the president was escorted offstage. Outside the hotel, members of the National Guard and other authorities flooded the area as helicopters circled overhead.
After an initial attempt to resume the event, it was scrapped for the night and will be rescheduled.
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