Tamil Nadu CM Stalin reaches out to migrant workers
Tirunelveli (TN) (PTI): Reaching out to the migrant workers community in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday interacted with a group of labourers at a latex unit here.
The Chief Minister's move comes in the wake of apprehensions among the migrant workforce over alleged fake videos of attacks on some of them in the state, which had even prompted the Bihar government to depute an official delegation to take stock of the situation.
Stalin visited Kanam Latex, involved in making hand gloves, in the district and interacted with the migrant workers, enquiring about their well-being, an official release said.
He discussed with them matters like how long they were staying in Tamil Nadu, if the local people treated them well and whether they had to face any issues.
The workers told him they had a good work atmosphere, some were staying for more than five years in TN, many with their families and that the local people were treating them with brotherhood, the release added.
The workers told him they did not have any fears and that they felt safe like staying in their native places, while acknowledging the help extended by the state government, it said.
"The CM asked them not to fall for rumours and that the state government was providing workers from all states a safe work environment," the release said.
Tamil Nadu has a sizeable number of migrant worker population, with many from states like Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal among others being employed in various sectors including construction.
Meanwhile, the four-member Bihar government delegation met officials and workers in Chennai and expressed satisfaction over the state government's actions after the alleged fake videos emerged. It had earlier travelled to Tirupur and Coimbatore, both of which employ a large number of migrant labourers.
D Balamurugan, Bihar Rural Development Secretary, told reporters here the TN government acted after the videos started circulating.
"There were some apprehensions after the videos emerged but now things have been clarified," he added.
In Patna, senior DMK leader and MP T R Baalu called on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and handed over a report sent by Stalin on the steps taken by the government to protect migrant workers from States including Bihar.
DMK's Deputy General Secretary A Raja hit out at Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan and said that the LJP leader may do his politics of being "BJP's B-Team", in Bihar and not in Tamil Nadu.
DMK chief Stalin's Dravidian model of social justice-led inclusive growth would help set up a regime of secular and progressive forces at the Centre following Lok Sabha polls next year, Raja said in a statement.
Paswan was in Chennai on March 6 and he had called on Governor R N Ravi and submitted a memorandum on the issue while demanding a thorough probe on allegations of attack on Bihar workers.
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Cong says Modi 'has lost authority to continue as PM', cites Ram Madhav's remarks on oil, tariffs
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Friday said Narendra Modi has lost his authority to continue as the prime minister, claiming that a senior RSS leader has made a "clear admission" that Modi is "dancing to Washington's tunes".
Congress general secretary, Organisation, K C Venugopal shared a video of RSS leader Ram Madhav on X where the latter says that India agreed to stop buying oil from Iran and Russia and also agreed to higher tariffs imposed by the US.
Madhav, however, later apologised saying what he said was "wrong as India did not agree to stop import of oil from Russia. "What I said was wrong. India didn't agree to stopping import of oil from Russia anytime."
"Also it vigorously protested 50 per cent tariff imposition. I was trying to make a limited counterpoint to the other panellist. But factually incorrect. My apologies," Madhav said in a post on X while sharing his video.
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Madhav along with RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale are on a visit to the United States and attended an event at the Hudson Institute in Washington.
In a post on X, Venugopal said, "Clear admission by a senior RSS leader - PM Modi is dancing to Washington's tunes.
"There was once a time when the US' 7th Fleet was in the Bay of Bengal, and India didn't budge. And then there is today, where a Compromised PM has handed over India's sovereignty to the US," Venugopal said in a post on X.
The Congress leader said this is exactly what Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and the entire Opposition has been saying. "India has lost its independent voice on the world stage.
"After this surrender, it's clear that Narendra Modi has lost his authority to continue as Prime Minister," Venugopal said in his post.
In the video shared by Venugopal along with his post, Ram Madhav is heard saying, "India agreed to stop buying oil from Iran. We agreed to stop buying oil from Russia, facing so much criticism from our Indian opposition."
"We agreed to a 50 per cent tariff...Agreed means, we did not say anything. We maintained our patience. 50 per cent tariffs we agreed. Today, in the new trade deal also we agreed for 18 per cent tariffs higher than what it used to be.... I mean, average tariff.
"So, where is India lagging behind in that. What are those issues where India is not doing enough?" Madhav is heard saying in the video during an interactive session at the Hudson Institute.
