Mumbai migrant mob may be political conspiracy, hints Thorat

Maharashtra Congress president and state Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat on Friday hinted that the gathering of migrant workers near Bandra station in Mumbai on April 14 may have been a political conspiracy.

Addressing a press conference, Thorat said soon after the gathering, Twitter hashtags like "UddhavResign" and "President's Rule Imposition" were trending, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah also called up the state chief minister.

"Migrant workers came out on to the streets twice in Surat (in BJP-ruled Gujarat) and elsewhere in the country but I am now aware if the Union home minister called up the CMs there or if there was a Twitter war as was seen after the Bandra incident," he said.

In reply to another query, Thorat said Governor BS Koshyari should appoint CM Uddhav Thackeray to the Legislative Council at the earliest as it was a matter of political stability in the state.

"If there was no lockdown, and (MLC) polls were held, the CM would have been elected easily. We hope the governor takes a decision on the cabinet recommendation made on April 6," he said, adding there were reports of some court case against this cabinet decision and that the governor was seeking legal advice.

He lashed out at the Centre claiming the BJP, on the one hand, was criticising the state government for not doing enough over the coronavirus outbreak, and, on the other hand, was refusing to give Maharashtra's revenue share of Rs 16,000 crore.

He said the lockdown was affecting revenue and a decision to resume industrial activities in districts where there are no COVID-19 cases will be taken up after April 20.