Bihar team in Chennai to probe alleged attack on Hindi-speaking migrant workers; Stalin speaks to Nitish

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar sent a four-member team to Chennai from state capital Patna on Saturday, after some unverified reports on social media claimed Hindi-speaking migrant workers have been subjected to hate crimes in Tamil Nadu.

A four-member team of officials held discussions with authorities including Labour department officials and they are expected to meet senior State officials and Bihari workers as well in places like the textile hubs of Coimbatore and Tirupur.

Stalin speaks to Nitish, assures safety of Bihar migrant workers

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday spoke to his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar and assured the safety of all migrant workers from Bihar after reports of them being persecuted started doing rounds on social media.

Addressing Kumar as his 'revered brother,' Stalin said in an official release that workers from northern States need not have any kind of apprehensions over working in Tamil Nadu.

In the unlikely event of somebody intimidating them, they may immediately inform police and immediate action shall be taken. Stalin's reassurance followed false claims in social media platforms that migrant workers, especially 'Bihari labourers' in Tamil Nadu were attacked.

The TN CM said,''Those spreading rumours that workers from other States are being attacked in Tamil Nadu are against the Indian nation, they infringe the national integrity. Some doing cheap politics over a non-issue is condemnable.''

Nitish Kumar said, "As soon as I got to know through newspapers, I directed officials to look into the matter. They talked with the Tamil Nadu government and reported that a team should be sent from here," Nitish Kumar was reported by ANI.

Composition of the team

In Patna, police said the Bihar team comprising D Balamurugan, the Secretary for Rural Development, P Kannan, the Inspector General of Police (CID), Alok Kumar, the Labour Commissioner, and Santosh Kumar, SP, Special Task Force would meet top TN officials.

Senior TN police officials in districts with sizable population of migrant workers including Tirupur addressed them and requested them to be vigilant and not fall prey to rumours. Hindi speaking IPS officers have also spoken to them.

Meanwhile, in Chennai, Bihar Rural Development Secretary D Balamurugan told reporters that talks with TN officials was satisfactory and that Tamil Nadu government extended full support and cooperation. ''The circulation of fake videos caused apprehension among Bihari workforce. We held discussions with police officials. We will visit Tirupur and other districts for spot assessment. Later, we will hold discussion with senior State officials. Ours is a two-day visit,'' Balamurugan said.

POLITICAL REACTION

The issue of 'fake claims' on attacks in Tamil Nadu on migrant workforce snowballed into a political slugfest between the ruling DMK and the BJP and on the same issue, Saffron party targeted the Nitish Kumar-led regime in Bihar, which dispatched an official team for fact finding.

The DMK squarely blamed the BJP for playing dirty politics over the issue by levelling false allegations and Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai alleged that during the last two years after the DMK came to power, many derisive speeches were made by DMK MPs and Ministers against north Indian workers.

Tamil Nadu DGP differs

Even as Bihar cries foul over the alleged incident, Tamil Nadu director general of police Sylendra Babu tweeted a video stating that strict action will be taken against those sharing fake videos.

Speaking to reporters along with Bihar officials, an office-bearer of Bihar Association in Chennai said there cannot be a place better than Tamil Nadu for migrant workers in terms of hospitality and safety. ''We are attending calls from Bihar. We can tell you for sure that all the videos claiming attacks in TN are fake. These have emerged from Bihar. I cross-checked claims and these are false,'' the association office-bearer said.

What migrants are saying?

In Bihar, returnees from Tamil Nadu, however, said that though they are back home for Holi festivities, they would not like to go back to the southern State if the ''situation'' did not improve.

On March 1, a few people, residents of Ranchi in Jharkhand, also returned to their homeland from Tamil Nadu, as reported.

Bihar CM, Dy CM face criticism

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had asked officials on March 2 to look into reports of attacks on migrant workers in Tamil Nadu and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav faced criticism from the opposition BJP for visiting TN.

The Saffron party's Bihar unit chief Sanjay Jaiswal had claimed that Biharis were 'killed' in Tamil Nadu.

TN police file FIR against Hindi daily's editor for rumour-mongering

Meanwhile, the police of the southern State registered cases against two journalists including the editor of a Hindi daily for spreading rumours.

A case was registered against the Editor of Dainik Bhaskar newspaper in Tirupur North Police Station under IPC sections covering promoting enmity and mischief causing fear among public, a TN police press release said.

Another case has been registered in Tirupur Cyber Crime Police Station against Mohammad Tanvir (TanveerPost Twitter handle) under the IPC for making imputations prejudicial to national integration, making mischief causing fear among public and under a relevant section of the Information Technology Act.

Against ''one Prashant Umrao,'' an FIR has been filed under various sections of the IPC including those for giving provocation with intent to cause riot, promoting enmity and hatred, provoking breach of peace, statement leading to public mischief, police said. Thoothukudi Central Police Station has filed the case.

Umrao's verified Twitter handle said he is the spokesperson for Uttar Pradesh BJP. However, the TN police statement did not identify him as a Saffron party office-bearer.