Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, while lending his ‘shakti’ to around 4,000 to 5,000 people gathered to protest at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday, hit out at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for not paying heed to the problems of sanitation workers.
Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Rahul said change cannot be brought by merely making promises and alleged that poor were being deprived of their rights in the name of development. Putting his weight behind sanitation workers of civic bodies agitating for payment of salary dues at Jantar Mantar, the Congress vice-president sought to link their demands with the “honour” of the poor and said he would stand by them for any cause to put up a united fight. “This is not a fight for Delhi’s cleanliness or a fight for the country’s cleanliness. This is a fight for your honour. I want to bring some of my strength among you.... Together we will show what your strength is,” he said, offering his support for the oppressed sections of society.
The protest in association with Joint front of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) union and Delhi Nagar Nigam Mazdoor marked the presence of workers demanding the release of their salaries which have been pending since January. Though lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung had earlier released the amount of Rs493 crore to cover the dues of civic bodies, workers present at the procession claimed that their salaries are pending since January.
“Our Immediate demand is to merge the zones of MCD into one as it is the main cause of the partial release of salary. I kept working while I hadn’t received any salary,” said worker from SDMC.
Their demands were workers working since 1998 be made permanent, uniforms be provided for workers serving for more than ten years, amount to be released for widow pension pending for four months and clear salary arrears.Rahul, proclaimed that the fight does not limit only to sanitation workers but it is meant for whoever exploited by the Government. He said, “These workers are like Delhi army and once they decide to stand against the exploitation, no Government can withstand their strength.”
Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken was also present in the protest but this time only to take a backseat. Former Congress MlA Jai Kishan while attributing Congress for bestowing respect to the labour community said, “Thousand of workers are being exploited by them (AAP and BJP) and it is and was always Congress who should be credited for empowering Dalits”.
Maintaining the notion of the Congress, former MP Sajjan Kumar was also seen in form while he framed Congress as ‘Indira Gandhi ki fauj’ fighting against ‘Kejriwal and his company”. He said, “During Congress’ reign we employed workers and Kejriwal, on the other hand, could not even pay the salaries of existing employees.” He challenged the AAP Government to employ 1 lakh workers during their tenure. Taking a dig at Kejriwal and Modi Governments, he said, “Our sanitation women employees sweep the city roads when Delhi was shivering at 5 degrees Celsius in winter while wives of these Ministers sit inside in air conditioner and drink rooh-af-zha.”
The protest was also accompanied by the loud cries with slogans, Modiji tum toh tehare pardesi, salari aur pension kya dilwaoge (Modi, you are now a foreigner, how will you grant salaries and pensions). Some Ministers were seen raising slogans against Kejriwal, ‘Teri kabar khudegi, aaj nai toh kal khudegi’ (Sooner or later, you will be buried in your grave)Adding more to the agitation, effigies of Kejriwal and Modi were burnt marking the end of the protest. Also bamboo bier of Kejriwal was beaten up representing the end of Kejriwal’s rule and its fake promises.