Urged Bihar govt not to let such news be broadcast without verification: Bihar Association in TN over alleged attack on migrant workers

Chennai: Dismissing outrightly the rumours of Bihar migrant labourers being thrashed in Tamil Nadu, the Secretary of Bihar Association in Tamil Nadu stated that the videos circulating on social media were fake and there was no truth in the allegations of attacks.

A 4-member team reached Chennai on Saturday and participated in a meeting with Chennai District Collector, Commissioner of Tamil Nadu Labour Department and other government officials in connection with the matter.
The Bihar government had sent the team to the Southern state after reports of alleged attacks on the migrant labourers surfaced.

“Four of us came from the Bihar government to meet the senior officials of the Tamil Nadu government. People from Bihar were working in Tamil Nadu. We have come to assure them that the Bihar government is for their welfare. We are getting all the support and cooperation from the Tamil Nadu government,” Balamurugan, IAS, Secretary of Rural Development Department, Bihar said.

Speaking to ANI, Mukesh, Secretary, Bihar Association, Tamil Nadu, said that they have not found any “reality” in the calls that they received of the alleged attacks in Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu | It is rumoured in North India that some migrant labourers in general & particularly from Bihar are being attacked by Tamil Nadu people which is completely false: Sujith Kumar, Tiruchirappalli District Superintendent of Police pic.twitter.com/zrkXgBGBGT

— ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2023

“A 4-member team had come from Bihar to gather information regarding the ongoing rumour that the people from Bihar and Hindi-speaking people are being beaten by the Tamils. The video has gone viral. The parents are scared. We gave the team information. I get 150-200 calls per day. We visit the spot after getting the call and assess the situation and try to ascertain the facts. We cannot inform the police immediately after receiving the call unless we check the reality behind the calls. We have visited around 10 to 15 places so far, there was no reality in the claims. It is completely fake news,” he said.

Stating that such incidents of attacks did not take place in the state, the official said that Tamil Nadu is the “safest place” for migrant workers.

He said that they have urged the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government to not let any such news be broadcast “until the authenticity” is ascertained.

“Such an issue has never occurred anywhere in Tamil Nadu. This is the safest place for migrant workers and for the people of Bihar. We only told the Bihar government that the fake news coming from Bihar should be stopped. We have not seen such news in any channel in Tamil Nadu. We have asked the Bihar government not to let such news be broadcast until the authenticity of the news is ascertained,” he said.

“I don’t think any other government would help the way this Tamil Nadu government is helping,” Mukesh added.

The four-member team includes D Balamurugan, Secretary, Rural Development, P Kanan, IPS (IG CID), Shree Alok, Special Secretary, Labour Department and an IPS officer will submit a report to the Bihar chief minister after their visit.

Meanwhile, amid pressure from the Opposition over alleged attacks in Tamil Nadu of migrant workers from Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday said that a four-member team will visit the southern State to take stock of the situation.

“As soon as I got to know through newspapers, I directed officials to look into the matter. They talked with the Tamil Nadu government and reported that a team should be sent from here,” Nitish Kumar said, adding that the four-member team will look into the matter in detail.

Kumar on Thursday, raised concerns after a purported video of “attacks” on Bihar-based migrant labourers, working in Tamil Nadu surfaced on social media.

Tamil Nadu DGP Sylendr Babu stated, “Somebody in Bihar posted false and mischievous videos saying that migrant workers are attacked in Tamil Nadu. Two videos are posted and both are false, these two incidents happened earlier in Tiruppur and Coimbatore. Both cases were not a clash between the people of Tamil Nadu and migrant workers. One was a clash between two groups of Bihar migrant workers and another video was a clash between two local residents of Coimbatore,” the top cop said.

The Tamil Nadu Police also warned that strict action would be initiated against those sharing fake videos on social media.

After the Tamil Nadu DGP’s clarification, the Bihar police on Friday said that the videos circulating on social media were “misleading”.

“Bihar DGP has spoken to Tamil Nadu DGP. Other senior officers of the Bihar Police are in touch with senior officials of the Tamil Nadu Police. The Tamil Nadu Police has said that the said videos are fake and misleading,” Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) Patna, JS Gangwar told ANI.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday in a telephone call with Nitish Kumar reassured his Bihar counterpart about the safety of migrant workers, amid reports of alleged attacks on people from Bihar that officials have dismissed as fake.

Chief minister Stalin said that those indulging in rumour-mongering were acting against the country and its integrity, according to a statement released by the chief minister’s office.

“Tamil Nadu Government and the people will always stand to protect our migrant brothers,” Stalin told the Bihar chief minister, according to the statement.

“I have spoken to the honourable chief minister and my brother Nitish Kumar on phone and assured him that all the workers are our workers and they are helping the development of Tamil Nadu. Therefore, I assured that none of these issues will impact them” the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said.

District Collectors in Tamil Nadu have issued appeals in Hindi asking migrant workers not to be scared.