New trouble at Maruti as cops, workers clash at Kaithal
20 May 2013 6:58 AM IST
Haryana police on Sunday lathicharged a demonstration of workers’ families belonging to Maruti Udyog Limited at Kaithal outside the residence of state industry minister Randeep Singh Surjewala. A large number of demonstrators were hurt in the lathicharge and also arrested.
The Haryana government on Saturday imposed Section 144 of the IPC in Kaithal and arrested close to 100 workers and their family members from the dharna site at the Mini Secretariat at 11.30 pm. Several more were picked up from entry points to the town including the bus terminus on Sunday morning.
The workers and their family members had been reportedly sitting on a peaceful dharna at the Mini Secretariat from 28 April demanding release of the 147 workers lodged in Gurgaon jail and reinstatement of the workers, both permanent and contract, terminated without enquiry following the 18 July incident.
Officers at Kaithal Civil Lines police station and at the office of the superintendent of police allegedly refused to provide a copy of the FIR or even details about the arrests to the agitators or even to the advocate of the workers and their families. They even refused to mention under what charges the arrests had been made and where the workers and others who were arrested were being detained.
According to a statement released by the agitating workers, 84 sarpanches from across Haryana had extended their support to the Maruti Suzuki workers struggle at the last demonstration of the workers at Kaithal on 8 May 2013. The Haryana government has since then stopped the funds flow to these Panchayats. The press note said that the Haryana government is using both brute force and its fiscal powers to obliterate the struggle of the workers and put down the solidarity and support mobilised by the sarpanches across the state.
'Elected representatives of the people are refusing to talk to citizens in their attempt to protect the interest of the capitalists,' said the statement.
The Haryana government on Saturday imposed Section 144 of the IPC in Kaithal and arrested close to 100 workers and their family members from the dharna site at the Mini Secretariat at 11.30 pm. Several more were picked up from entry points to the town including the bus terminus on Sunday morning.
The workers and their family members had been reportedly sitting on a peaceful dharna at the Mini Secretariat from 28 April demanding release of the 147 workers lodged in Gurgaon jail and reinstatement of the workers, both permanent and contract, terminated without enquiry following the 18 July incident.
Officers at Kaithal Civil Lines police station and at the office of the superintendent of police allegedly refused to provide a copy of the FIR or even details about the arrests to the agitators or even to the advocate of the workers and their families. They even refused to mention under what charges the arrests had been made and where the workers and others who were arrested were being detained.
According to a statement released by the agitating workers, 84 sarpanches from across Haryana had extended their support to the Maruti Suzuki workers struggle at the last demonstration of the workers at Kaithal on 8 May 2013. The Haryana government has since then stopped the funds flow to these Panchayats. The press note said that the Haryana government is using both brute force and its fiscal powers to obliterate the struggle of the workers and put down the solidarity and support mobilised by the sarpanches across the state.
'Elected representatives of the people are refusing to talk to citizens in their attempt to protect the interest of the capitalists,' said the statement.
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