Kejriwal appeals migrant workers to stay back in Delhi, says no dearth of food

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday termed the gathering of migrant workers as 'dangerous' and requested them to stay back, stating that his government is working tirelessly to provide them with all basic facilities during the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19.

"People are migrating from cities to villages across the country. This is very dangerous. This will take the virus to villages as well. Yesterday, I saw pictures of the gathering of thousands of people. When you are standing in a crowd, even if a single person among them is infected with COVID-19, you will also get infected. Think about your own life and your family," Kejriwal said while addressing a digital press conference.

"When Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced lockdown in the wake of coronavirus, he said -- 'Stay wherever you are'. I think it is the mantra of this lockdown. If we don't follow this, the lockdown will not be successful and the country will fail in the fight against this virus," he added.

Appealing to migrant workers to stay back in Delhi, Kejriwal said: "Delhi government is providing lunch and dinner to more than 4 lakh people every day. We are putting in all the efforts to make sure that everyone gets food in the national capital. There is no dearth of food and water."

Delhi's Anand Vihar Bus Terminal witnessed a sea of people on Saturday with migrants and daily wagers making serpentine queues to get a ride home.Many groups have also attempted to walk back to their villages.

The Central government had on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown in a bid to stop the spread of the deadly virus that has left several thousands dead globally. In India, the virus has infected 979 people so far.