Rahul Gandhi back among sanitation workers

Attacking the Prime Minister and Delhi CM, he said, "Modiji and Kejriwal think that after merely making promises they can bring about a change.

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Gandhi meets agitating sanitation workers who have not been paid since April. (Source: Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday surprised sanitation workers in the city by landing in their midst for the second time in six days. Hundreds of sanitation workers filled Parliament Street in Central Delhi, demanding the release of their salaries, cashless medical facilities and confirmation of services for contractual employees.

“This is not a fight for cleanliness of Delhi or the cleanliness of the country. This is a fight for your dignity,” Gandhi told the protesters. “I was told that you will be assembling here, so I wanted to bring my strength amongst you as well,” he said. Earlier on June 12, Rahul had met sanitation workers sitting in protest at the East corporation headquarters and assured them of his support.

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Gandhi also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for “merely making promises”. “I was in Chhattisgarh yesterday and I… met farmers and tribals. They told me that industrialists get Rs 1 crore per day for a lease of 30 years from these coal mines while a farmer gets Rs 50,000 to a lakh for his land from the government. Then they tell us that it is for development.”

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The protest was called by the Joint Front of MCD Unions of Safai Karamcharis, an umbrella body of employee unions of the MCDs. While calling for the re-unification of the three corporations, the front has threatened to go on an indefinite strike if their demands are not met. “We have called a meeting of all sanitation workers’ associations on Friday to discuss the future course of action. We want a permanent solution to our problems. We no longer want to protest,” it announced.

Rajkumari, a sanitation worker with the East corporation, said, “I was given a job here after my husband passed away. I have two young sons and I earn Rs 8,000. With no salary for three months, I’m at the verge of removing my children from school.”

Safai karamcharis present at the venue said this was the first time in their employment that salaries were being delayed for months. “The government continues to ignore us but it does not stop expecting from us,” Babita, another sanitation worker, said.