In order to show solidarity with the <g data-gr-id="41">safai</g> <g data-gr-id="42">karmis</g> (sanitation workers) of all three Municipal Corporations who are on strike for the past 12 days, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi visited the protesting sanitation workers in East Delhi, parts of which have turned into giant garbage dumps with an estimated 15,000 tonnes of waste rotting on roadsides in the sweltering summer heat.
“You go to the Delhi government, it says the Centre is responsible. You go to the Centre, it says Delhi government is responsible. These are all excuses and you will not get anything till you show your strength. And I want to make it clear that I will take your responsibility,” said Gandhi, adding: “Call me whenever you need. I can be here for 15 days if you want.”
The sanitation workers, who were present at EDMC headquarters along with Gandhi, said they are satisfied the way he has raised <g data-gr-id="31">voice</g> in their support.
“With his support, we hope to reach an immediate solution of this problem. His intervention has given <g data-gr-id="30">fresh</g> boost to the ongoing protest,” said Rajendra Mewati, president of Delhi Pradesh Safai Mazdoor union.
The workers’ demand is caught in a political tug-of-war between the Delhi government and BJP, that controls the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. Both accuse the other of not releasing adequate funds to pay the workers.
Reacting to Rahul’s move, Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay said the Congress Vice-President is playing politics over the issue as his party never paid heed to the needs of Corporations when it was in power.
Upadhyay said Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government as well as the previous Sheila Dikshit government have treated sanitation workers as their vote banks.
“Kejriwal and Rahul Gandhi are shedding crocodile tears only for the sake of votes. If Delhi government was worried about sanitation in the national Capital, it could have paid the funds for the first quarter of this financial year to the Municipal Corporations and consequently avoided such a strike,” Upadhyay said.