Nirmala Sitharaman slams Congress over migrant workers; Calls Rahul Gandhi's act 'Dramebaazi'

New Delhi, May 17: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday slammed India's grand-old party over the movement of migrants workers amid the coronavirus crisis.

The Finance Minister slammed the Congress while she was announcing her final tranche on Rs 20 lakh crore economic package.

Addressing the media, Sitharaman said, "I want to ask Congress party, why is it (Congress) not doing anything more for these migrant workers in the states ruled by them or where they have alliances. Make arrangements for more trains where you can, help them. Go walk with them, pick up their bags rather than sitting next to them and talking to them."

The Finance Minister also said that the Central government joined hands with various state governments to run special trains for the repatriation of the migrant workers.

"We ensured that lakhs on migrant workers reach their native places, get food, essentials. Yet many are on the roads, walking back home, it is painful," Sitharaman said.

Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was seen interacting with migrant workers in New Delhi. The migrants were reportedly walking back to their native homes when they decided to rest near the Sukhdev Vihar flyover on Mathura Road.

Several pictures and videos of him sitting alongside a group of nearly 14-15 migrants and talking to them about their ordeal before leaving went viral on social media.

On Saturday, in her fourth address, Sitharaman announced "structural reforms" in the sectors of coal, minerals defence production, airspace management, MROs power distribution companies, space sectors, atomic energy.

In the first tranche of the economic stimulus, the Finance Minister focused on the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and the middle class. The second tranche took care of migrant workers and small shopkeepers. The third tranche saw the Finance Minister focusing on agriculture and its allied activities.