Nirupam backs hawkers, says migration is "natural phenomenon"

"Atrocities are being inflicted on hawkers, as if they are terrorists. Hawkers are poorest of the poor...Nobody else can be poorer than them in the city. Action against hawkers (by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and police) should be stopped immediately," Nirupam said here.

Saying that BMC had not constructed a single market in the last thirty years, he said the civic body, which is controlled by Shiv Sena and BJP, should come out with an interim policy for the hawkers.

"Till the Central government frames a policy, the BMC should come out with an interim one," he said, adding that the Centre was in the process of framing a national policy on hawkers, as directed by the Supreme Court.

MNS chief Raj Thackeray had recently backed police's action against hawkers. The issue came to fore after a hawker died during eviction drive in suburban Santa Cruz, leading to transfer of police officer ACP Vasant Dhoble.

Hawkers should not be differentiated as Marathi-speakers or non-Marathi speakers, Nirupam said. "If their (MNS's) political philosophy is to harass the poor...Then so be it. But Congress's stand is to support the poor."

The Congress MP said the issue of migrants was discussed extensively at the party conclave in Jaipur. "The issue is not limited to Mumbai. Wherever development is not taking place, there would be migration. Migration is a natural phenomenon."

"Atrocities are (allegedly) committed on Marathi-speakers in Baroda (Gujarat). In Banaras, you will find that labourers are Marathi-speakers," Nirupam claimed.