COVID-19 Lockdown: Migrant workers gather at Bandra railway station in Mumbai

Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to extend the coronavirus lockdown till May 3, 2020. Earlier, the lockdown was supposed to end on April 14, 2020, due to which, the migrant workers who were stuck, gathered in hundreds at suburban Bandra (West) bus depot near the railway station in beliefs of returning home.

The laborers were demanding permission to return to their native states. They later scattered after police and local leaders occurred and asked them to depart. The police could also be seen resorting to lathi-charge to separate the masses.

Migrant workers gather at Bandra station amid #coronaviruslockdown. @sahiljoshii gets us latest updates.#6PMPrime with @Ankit_Tyagi01 LIVE https://t.co/4fqxBVUizL pic.twitter.com/zFaO8lmHtX

— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) April 14, 2020

According to a police official, daily wage earners estimating around 1,000, accumulated at suburban Bandra (West) bus depot near the railway station and squatted on road a around 3 pm.

The daily wage earners, who reside on rent in slums in the nearby locality, were asking the arrangement of transportation amenities so that they can return to their native towns and villages.

As per India Today, Maharashtra Cabinet minister Aslam Sheikh confirmed that there was no scarcity of food for the migrants in the city. “There is no question of food, food and rations are being provided to them. Earlier, Home Minister Amit Shah had assured that the arrangement will be made to send them back to their home after the lockdown ends, but now the lockdown has been extended so the people are anxious,” Aslam Sheikh said.

Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh also said that these people were expecting to returns to their homes today. “We have been able to persuade them that they will have to wait as no state borders are open yet. The crowd has been dispersed,” he said.

“Mumbai has the largest number of migrant labourers, they had assumed that since today is 14th they will get a chance to get back home. We are glad that state borders have not been opened as if these people had gone back to their home they would have taken the disease with them to their villages, Anil Deshmukh said.