‘Don’t leave Delhi’: Arvind Kejriwal’s folded hand appeal to migrant workers

As Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday announced a six-day lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus in the national capital, at the same time, the AAP leader appealed to the migrant workers to not leave Delhi. The lockdown comes into effect from 10 pm Monday (April 19) and will be in place till 6 am on April 26.

“I appeal to you with folded hands. It’s a small lockdown, only for 6 days. Don’t leave Delhi and go,” Kejriwal said. The Delhi CM said that the state government will “take care of you (migrants)” and added, “I am very hopeful that we won’t need to further extend the lockdown.”

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Arvind Kejriwal’s appeal comes after hundreds of migrant workers piled up in Mumbai after the Maharashtra government announced a 15-day curfew in the state to check the spread of coronavirus. Similar scenes were witnessed at different bus terminals and railway stations in Delhi a few days ago as migrant workers were feared getting stuck in the city without work if a lockdown will be announced. 

The lockdown in Delhi was announced after the national capital on Sunday recorded its highest ever single-day spike of COVID-19 cases at 25,464. Arvind Kejriwal, while announcing the lockdown, said that the health system in Delhi has been stretched to its limit.