BJP lends support to striking MSRTC employees intensify their agitation

Uddhav Thackeray appeals ST personnel to take back strike, urges political opponents not to incite agitators

@the_news_21

Pune: The protracted strike by staffers of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) over a number of grievances intensified on Wednesday with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) entering the arena by supporting the protestors even as Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray appealed to the striking MSRTC workers to resume duties and provide relief to the commuters across the state. 

Remarking that this was not the time for parties to indulge in politics, Thackeray, in a veiled rebuke to the BJP, urged them not to incite ST workers and ‘force’ them to agitate.  

A statement issued by the Chief Ministers Office (CMO) said that the government had been trying its best to give relief to ST workers by accepting their demands.  

“You (ST employees) are our own, not outsiders…the government has already told the Bombay High Court what steps it is taking to resolve the crisis and the court has expressed its satisfaction. We have also appointed a special committee to look into the matter as directed by the court,” says the statement from the CMO. 

Remarking that the government was still battling the Covid-19 pandemic, Thackeray appealed to the ST personnel to take back their agitation. 

Urging the striking employees not to be ‘influenced’ by certain political leaders (of the BJP), State Transport Minister Anil Parab said that ST staffers could not hold commuters across the State “hostage” in this manner. 

“As per the High Court’s directives, we have already constituted a three-member high-level committee which will be submitting its report within 12 weeks’ time…the court’s directives are equally binding on the ST employees’ unions and it is unfortunate that ST staffers should be agitating thus despite the government already having accepted most of their demands,” said Parab, adding that he had already given written assurances to ST workers that the remainder of their grievances would be addressed after the Diwali break. 

Parab argued that it was not possible to satisfy the prime demand of the ST workers – the merger of the cash-strapped MSRTC with the State government – in such a short span of time. 

Remarking that those political leaders egging on the employees to agitate would not suffer, the Minister warned agitating ST employees that the loss would be entirely theirs to bear.  

“The High Court has already declared this strike invalid and has directed MSRTC employees to resume work…we do not want to take action against striking employees. The MSRTC has already incurred heavy losses. Despite this, the State government has already ensured that their salaries were paid,” the Minister said.   

Earlier in the day, MSRTC employees across the State – some had come along with their families from different corners of the state, converged upon Mumbai’s Azad Maidan as more than 200 ST depots across the State remained completely shut. 

BJP leaders including Kirit Somaiya, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Legislative Council Pravin Darekar, MLC Gopichand Padalkar, Rayat Kranti Sanghatana chief Sadabhau Khot and Girish Mahajan came out in strong support of the agitators, joining them at the Azad Maidan. 

Hitting out at the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government for their alleged insensitivity in handling the ST workers’ crisis, the BJP criticized the State government’s suspension of more than 350 employees on Tuesday for striking work. Kirit Somaiya and Gopichand Padalkar were briefly detained by the police when they attempted to lead a group of protestors to the Mantralaya.  

Targeting the State Transport Minister, Somaiya remarked that while the latter had time for allegedly indulging in financial malpractices, he never bothered about the welfare of ST workers. 

“If one takes into account the sheer scale of corruption, the amount has exceeded Rs. 50,000 crores…this is a government whose ministers are busy in extortion activities, but have no time to pay wages for their ST employees,” remarked Somaiya. 

MLC Gopichand Padalkar said that Thackeray and the MVA government’s step-motherly treatment of the ST staffers had revealed the “true face” of the ruling government. 

“The Chief Minister’s actions have proved that he has no affection for ST employees. When a person takes the extreme step of committing suicide due to helplessness, he is truly in a dire situation. But instead of showing the utmost sensitivity, this government is harassing ST employees by threatening to file contempt petitions against them and suspending them from work,” Padalkar said. 

Sadabhau Khot said that at least 39 ST staff had committed suicide since March last year. “Anil Parab asks whether Gopichand Padalkar and myself are willing to take on the responsibility of giving salaries to ST workers…Yes, we are ready to provide for their salaries. But first Anil Parab must tender his resignation,” he said. 

The BJP further alleged that the MVA government and the police had repeatedly attempted to disrupt the agitation by not allowing several agitators to reach Mumbai. 

“However much this government attempts to obstruct ST employees, they are not going to move from Azad Maidan unless the Chief Minister personally speaks to them or the MVA government agrees to all its demands,” Padalkar said. 

Meanwhile, more than 200 of the 250 ST bus depots remained completely shut today as well, severely inconveniencing commuters across Maharashtra, especially the rural hinterland. 

To ease the situation, the government has approved the operation of all private passenger buses, company owned buses and freight vehicles to ferry commuters till the MSRTC strike was called off.