On Tuesday, thousands of migrant workers flocked outside Bandra railway station in Mumbai with their baggage to catch trains to return back to their native. The migrants had assembled at the railway station following rumours that they can board the special trains being run from Bandra station to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
According to the reports, the migrant workers had gathered outside the Bandra railway station in Mumbai on Tuesday to board a ‘Shramik special’ train to Bihar. These migrants were informed that special trains will be running from the Bandra railway station to ferry them back home.
#WATCH Maharashtra: Huge crowd of migrant workers gathered outside the Bandra railway station in Mumbai earlier today to board a “Shramik special’ train to Bihar. Only people who had registered themselves(about 1000) were allowed to board, rest were later dispersed by police. pic.twitter.com/XgxOQmSzEb
— ANI (@ANI) May 19, 2020
Migrants had assembled after receiving phone calls
Reportedly, migrant labourers started arriving near Bandra railway station since early morning on Tuesday and close to 5,000 gathered at the station. These migrants had allegedly received phone calls informing them about special trains being run for them from Bandra.
However, migrants who had registered to travel in Shramik trains were allowed to board the train and the rest of them were dispersed by police. A Bihar-bound Shramik Special train was scheduled to leave from Bandra today, but as per MHA rules, only those who had already registered can board the special trains.
According to India TV, four people have been arrested so far for spreading the rumours asking migrants to come to the station to travel to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Mumbai police lathi-charge the migrants
The huge gathering of migrants over false rumours resulted in a scare as social distancing norms were violated, leading to a law and order situation at the Bandra station.
The Mumbai had to resort to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd assembled at the Bandra terminus. Reportedly, the Bandra railway station has been completely cleared by the Mumbai Police.
Bandra migrant crisis in April
This is not the first time that such a huge crowd had gathered at a city railway station to board trains for their native places. Earlier in April, huge crowds of migrant workers burst onto the streets in Bandra and Mumbra in Mumbai demanding to go home amidst the nationwide lockdown imposed in the wake of the Wuhan Coronavirus pandemic.
In Bandra and Mumbra, the crowds demanded that the state government make arrangements for them to return home. In Bandra, the crowd gathered at Ahle Sunnat Sunni Raza Jama Masjid near Bandra station. Under such circumstances, requests were made in the name of Allah to not congregate in such large numbers and return to their homes.
Later, the Mumbai police had arrested an anti-CAA protestor identified as Vinay Dubey for inciting a mob of migrant workers in Mumbai to gather at railway stations. He had posted a video on YouTube, urging migrants to come out of the streets and gather at the Lok Manya Tilak Terminus.
