Jammu, March 11:
During the House proceedings in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, opposition members referred to the ongoing protest of daily wage labourers for their wages and regularisation and criticised the lathicharge on them.
On this, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that there should not have been a lathi charge on the protesting daily wage workers of the Jal Shakti Department. He also said he has no control over the police.
As soon as the House assembled, opposition members referred to the massive protests by daily wage labourers. As they were demanding release of wages and regularisation of jobs and strongly criticised the lathicharge on them.
Meanwhile, a verbal debate broke out between BJP and National Conference members on the issue.
The Chief Minister further said that instead of creating a ruckus inside the House, it would have been better if the opposition had raised the issue a few kilometres away with the Lieutenant Governor, who has the actual control. Omar Abdullah said that it would have been more appropriate to go there and ask why they were beaten up.
Omar said that neither were the protesters beaten on government orders, nor should they have been treated like this. He said, “Even today I say that these employees are ours. Their issues are genuine. This is not a financial issue but a human issue. They should have been treated humanely and sensitively.”
The Chief Minister said that he believed that the concern shown by all of them in the House must have reached the ears of the police. He said that next time when these people fight for their rights, lathicharge will not be done against them.