Ruckus in House over action on protesting daily wagers

BJP members walk out, Omar says no control over police, announces panel on regularisation of daily wagers

- Ravi Krishnan Khajuria

JAMMU: Asserting that the lathi-charge on protesting daily-wage employees of the Jal Shakti department should not have happened, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said he did not hold control over the police.

As the House assembled for the day, opposition members highlighted the protests by the daily-wagers, demanding the release of wages and regularisation of jobs, and criticised the lathicharge on them on Monday.

The BJP members walked out of the House as ruckus erupted, when BJP and National Conference members engaged in a verbal duel on the issue. Intervening, Abdullah said, "You (BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa) have asked a question, please wait for the answer."

"As far as the police's treatment of the protesters is concerned, I would like to remind Randhawa Sahab, who is making a noise about this issue, that unfortunately, neither you nor I have control over the police," he said.

The chief minister said that instead of creating a ruckus inside the House, it would have been better if the opposition raised the matter a few kilometres from there (referring to the lieutenant governor), where the actual control lies. "It would have been more appropriate to go there and ask why they were beaten up," he said.

Humanitarian issue, says Omar

Abdullah said neither were the protesters beaten up on government orders, nor should they have been treated this way.

"Even today, I maintain that these employees are ours. Their issues are genuine. This is not a financial issue but a humanitarian one. They should have been treated with humanity and sensitivity," he said.

He said that he believes the concern shown by all of them in the House must have reached the ears of the police. "Next time, when these people fight for their rights, batons will not be used against them," he added.