ETT and TET pass disrupt minister’s function, accuse Congress workers of assaulting them

Parvesh Sharma
Tribune News Service
Sangrur, April 3

The ETT TET Qualified Unemployed Teachers' Union accused Congress workers of assaulting them during a protest they held against the Punjab government on Friday.

The union said that some Congress leaders attacked them when they chanted slogans during Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla’s visit. The minister was attending a function at Sunami Gate.

Sources said six members of the union came to the venue where the minister was expected for a function. They were refused entry at first, but two managed to enter later, sources said. Once inside, they began chanting slogans, which irked some of the Congress workers present at the function, the sources said.

“We were protesting peacefully, but Congress leaders attacked us,” union leader Gursangat Singh said.

“We are protesting for government jobs. It’s not a crime. But Congress leaders assaulted some of our members when they began raising slogans,” said Deep Banarasi, the union’s press secretary. The agitation, he said, would continue undeterred.  

Congress however denied any of its workers were involved in the attack. Sangrur Market Committee chairman Anil Kicha said Congress workers had only asked them to leave the event peacefully and denied any use of force.

“They’re making baseless allegations. No one from Congress attacked them,” said Kicha.

The unemployed teachers’ union has been sitting on an indefinite protest in front of Sangrur Deputy Commissioner’s office since January 4 demanding jobs. The union has been demanding that the Punjab government give them preference while recruiting for the 10,000-odd ETT posts that are currently vacant.

Among their other demands are withdrawal of extra marks given to education providers and volunteers, and exempting ETT qualified teachers from the age requirement rule.

Members of five unemployed teachers’ union said meanwhile that they were going to gherao Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s residence in Patiala on April 8.