Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has come down heavily on the false propaganda that the state is unsafe for migrant workers, saying that some anti-social elements are spreading rumours.
In a series of tweets and in a FB post, the CM condemned the attempts “by vested interests to tarnish the image of Kerala by spreading unrest in the peaceful atmosphere of the state.”
Notably one of his tweets and FB post were in Hindi.
“There are no confirmed reports of violence or any such unpleasant incidents in Kerala against migrant workers in the recent past. Kerala government assures all those affected by these rumours that their fear is unfounded and urge not to pay attention to such fake news. All the district administration and the police have been directed to take action against the spread of such lies and rumours through the social media,” he said.
The CM added that the police will be vigilant on Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and other social sites, to track miscreants spreading such rumours to create unrest.
“In fact other state workers are given good consideration in Kerala. The state government has implemented many welfare schemes for them. On behalf of the people of Kerala and the government, I assure migrant workers once again that they are not only safe but always welcome in Kerala. Kerala's social fabric is made up of mutual brotherhood and respect for working class (result of years of struggle against hate and oppression). Let us ignore/ reject the rumours and celebrate the real fact towards a Happy, Healthy and worker friendly Kerala,” the tweets said.
In one of the tweets, there is also an image of migrant workers traveling in Kochi metro and of medical camps for migrant workers.
It also points out that the Left-led Kerala government will be the first in country to provide insurance and free medical treatment for migrant workers.
Fake audio clips had recently surfaced on WhatsApp which said that migrant workers in Kerala were facing death threats and this had created panic among them. Nearly 400 migrant workers have fled from Kozhikode due to this.
I strongly condemn attempts by vested interests to tarnish the image of Kerala by spreading unrest in the peaceful atmosphere of the state.
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@vijayanpinarayi) October 9, 2017