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Tribune News Service
Bathinda, February 20
Irked over the police action against Anganwari workers in Muktsar on Monday, Anganwari workers and helpers of Bathinda district today took out a protest march in the city and burnt an effigy of Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal. Raising anti-government slogans, the protesters took out a march in the city.
Deriding the police action in Muktsar, they stated that the present government was also using pressure tactics to suppress the voice of public. Terming the congress government “similar to the SAD-BJP government”, the workers said the Congress government was also toeing the line of the SAD-BJP alliance.
“We have been fighting for our rights for the past several years. The SAD-BJP alliance never heeded our demands and Congress government is also doing the same. All the pre-promises of the Congress government are falling flat now,” the protesters said.
Taking on the Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, they said that while the minister had been giving statements that the protesters should aim for an amicable solution to their demands and problems, he was not ready to hold meetings with the protesters.
“The meeting which was held on February 5 remained inconclusive. What is the use of holding more meetings when we know the outcome of these meetings in advance,” they said.
Meanwhile, protesting anganwari workers and helpers in Mansa had a run in with police during their protest. Headed by Hargobind Kaur, as the protesters prepared to burn an effigy of the finance minister as part of their protest, the police personnel present on the spot tried to stop them from going ahead with their programme.
Undeterred, the protesters began raising slogans and moving ahead. Some police personnel even tried to take the effigy away from the protester but in vain. Policewomen present at the protest venue also intervened and tried their best to stop the anganwari workers and helpers from burning the effigy of the finance minister.
“The state government is not serious towards fulfilling our demands and the police action against the anganwari workers and protesters points towards the same. It also shows the dictatorial attitude of the state government. Rather than holding meeting with us, we are being suppressed,” Kaur said.