Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that forcibly stopping migrant workers from returning home was “inhuman”.

“It is wrong to stop them forcibly if they want to go home. It is inhuman. Send them safely. I think the Congress president’s idea of bearing the expenses for their travel is good,” he told the media through a videoconference, his second during the lockdown.

He was speaking days after the Karnataka government had cancelled trains for the homesick migrants, before being forced to reverse its decision following an outcry.

Rahul suggested that a timely transfer of money into the accounts of the out-of-job and stranded migrant workers would have helped tackle the panic among them.

On concerns that governments were not doing enough to get the migrants home, he said: “I am not an expert but I think there should be conversation between the Centre and the states, and decisions should be taken with empathy for the stranded migrant workers. Their rights cannot be crushed.”

He added: “I am deeply disturbed and saddened by news of trains being cancelled and migrants being forced to stay back in some states. They are not bonded labour and should be allowed to travel home according to their own free will. After announcements of buses and trains, why are thousands still forced to walk back to their villages?”

Rahul expressed grief at the tragedy in Maharashtra, where a freight train ran over 16 migrant workers who were sleeping on the tracks during a long walk home.

“I am stunned by news of our worker brothers and sisters being crushed by a goods train. We should be ashamed of the treatment being meted out to our nation builders. I offer my condolences to the families of the dead and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured,” Rahul tweeted.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra too tweeted: “The death of workers in Aurangabad is tragic and disturbing. Lockdown has destroyed the lives of the poor. They don’t have livelihood options. Adequate compensation should be given to the families of those who died in this accident.”

Rahul advocated the resumption of parliamentary standing committee meetings through videoconferencing.

Asked about the concentration of power and the curbing of labour rights in the name of an emergency situation, he said: “The Constitution is supreme. We will fight for the constitutional rights of our workers. We will not allow the dilution of labour rights to become permanent.”

He repeated his concerns about the Aarogya Setu app: “Even hackers have cracked it. Our point is, make it open source. Be transparent.”

On the PM-Cares Fund, he said transparency was important and the Prime Minister should ensure the fund is audited.

The government has said that private auditors alone will look into it, and the comptroller and auditor general of India will not.

Rahul reaffirmed several recommendations that have been made to the government over the past month.

“Extend income support to at least the 13 crore poorest households by transferring Rs 7,500, preferably, to each household. Even if Rs 5,000 is transferred to each of the 13 crore households, it will amount to a total of only Rs 65,000 crore,” he said.

“The 100 days of guaranteed wage employment under the MGNREGA should be doubled to 200 days. A MGNREGA-like guaranteed wage employment programme must be introduced in urban areas as well.”

He added: “Ensure food security for even the 11 crore people currently outside PDS. Transfer Rs 10,000 as urgent income support to each of the 8.22 crore PM Kisan Yojana accounts. Sanction Rs 1 lakh crore each for wage protection and credit guarantee to the MSME sector.”