Migrants issue: Randeep Surjewala moves Supreme Court, seeks permission to intervene

Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court seeking permission to intervene in a case pertaining to the plight of migrant labourers, stranded due to the countrywide lockdown enforced to contain the coronavirus, Live Law reported. This came a day after the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the matter and issued a notice to both the central and state governments, for a hearing on May 28.

Advocate Sunil Fernandes, appearing for Surjewala, contended that the Congress leader has done extensive research and studied several ground reports received from party workers. He added that on the basis of the Congress leader’s study on the matter, he has suggested a list of measures to the Centre for tackling the pandemic. In fact, on several occasions, Surjewala also suggested specific measures for alleviating the present plight of the migrant workers stranded all over the country, the petition added.

But Surjewala and the Congress were unable to raise the issue of migrant labourers in Parliament since sessions were temporarily discontinued in March, the plea said. Moreover, the plea pointed to the Centre’s “abject failure” to formulate any joint commission with the Opposition to alleviate the misery of migrants.