Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday slammed the BJP over the controversy around alleged attacks on migrants in Tamil Nadu, citing "lack of concern" on part of the Centre in the matter involving two states.
The RJD leader also said he was awaiting a report on the situation in Tamil Nadu by a team that went there the day before, though he also warned against generalised assumptions on the basis of isolated incidents.
"If a few people behave badly in Bihar, it must not be held out against the entire state. We must apply the same yardstick to Tamil Nadu as well," said Yadav, who has drawn flak from the BJP for his recent trip to Chennai upon Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin's invitation.
He also said, "I had simply read out, in the assembly, a statement issued by the DGP of Tamil Nadu who has denied violence against migrants. I never said I was taking it at face value. The reason why the government, of which I am a part, has sent a team is to get first-hand information."
A four-member team of officials from Bihar on Saturday left for Tamil Nadu to look into allegations of attacks on migrant workers, which has been denied by the southern state.
"We have done what we could. But the BJP, which is in the opposition in Bihar, but rules the Centre, needs to be questioned. The Union government has, so far, shown lack of concern though this matter involves two states".
He also cited a newspaper report claiming that the Tamil Nadu BJP president, in a telephonic talk with his Bihar counterpart, has denied any violence against migrants in the southern state.
"This report, besides an FIR lodged against a BJP spokesman for sharing false and inflammatory material on Twitter, is things on which the BJP owes an answer," Yadav asserted.
Patna, March 5 (PTI)