Bahadurgarh: A dispute between sanitation workers and Independent MLA Rajesh Joon erupted on Friday when a group of workers reached the legislator’s office to press for the resolution of their long-pending demands.The confrontation reportedly began during a heated exchange between the sanitation workers and the MLA. Rajendra, the workers’ representative, objected to what he described as the MLA “speaking the BJP’s language” and alleged that Joon had extended support to the BJP. He also said that sanitation workers, too, had voted for the party.The exchange soon turned tense, following which Joon took the microphone from Rajendra. As tempers rose, police personnel intervened and managed to prevent the situation from escalating further. The protesting workers subsequently raised slogans and left the premises without submitting their memorandum.After the altercation, Joon spoke about the repeated sanitation strikes and the problems faced by the workers.He said that during his 22-month tenure as MLA, sanitation workers had gone on strike nearly six times. While making it clear that he did not support repeated strikes, Joon said he had consistently raised the workers’ concerns in the state assembly.He said he had raised issues concerning sanitation workers during the previous Assembly session as well and would once again take up their concerns with the government.Joon maintained that the government should seriously consider the workers’ demands and work towards resolving their grievances. At the same time, he stressed that the city’s sanitation system should not be allowed to collapse because of industrial action.According to the MLA, protesting and raising demands is a democratic right of sanitation workers, but bringing essential civic services to a standstill ultimately affects ordinary residents.The protesting workers, however, said their demands were neither excessive nor unreasonable. They said they wanted elected representatives to raise their concerns with the government.Rajesh, one of the protesters, said the workers had planned to submit memoranda to around 90 MLAs and 10 MPs as part of their campaign.He alleged that an agreement reached with sanitation workers on May 13 over their demands had subsequently been breached by the BJP.“Our demands are not very big. We only want the MLA to raise our voice. If our demands are resolved, we will clean the entire city within two days,” Rajesh said.
