Punjab employees burn Mann's effigy over 'refusal' to hold meeting
Punjab government employees on Friday burnt an effigy of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and raised slogans against him in Hoshiarpur to protest his alleged "indifferent attitude" and refusal to meet with employee representatives, union leaders said.
The protest was organised outside the civil surgeon's office by the Joint Coordination Committee, formed by the Punjab Employees and Pensioners Joint Front and the Sanjha Mulazim Manch, Punjab.
The protesting employees also burnt copies of a government letter issued regarding the mass casual leave observed by employees on August 27, as well as copies of a post on X made by the chief minister on Thursday, in which he said that holding a meeting and continuing a protest could not take place simultaneously, the leaders said.
Addressing the protesters, the union leaders criticised what they described as Mann's "arrogant attitude" towards employees and demanded the immediate implementation of the Punjab and Haryana High Court's decision regarding payment of dearness allowance (DA).
They also demanded that the government resolve the other demands listed in their memorandum, they said.
The leaders expressed gratitude for the large turnout of employees during the protest and the mass casual leave on August 27.
On Thursday, work was affected in various government departments and OPD services remained suspended in public hospitals in Punjab as over three lakh government employees went on a statewide strike pressing for their demands that included release of pending dearness allowance.
A scheduled meeting between Chief Minister Mann and representatives of the employees' bodies in Jalandhar was cancelled after he made it clear to the protesting employees that talks would be held only when they call off their strike.
The employees refused to call off their strike, insisting on holding an unconditional meeting.
Over 150 employees' bodies under the banner of Punjab Sanjha Mulazam Manch have joined hands for the 'maha hartal'.