Delhi Police registers case against 4 AAP MLAs for flouting COVID norms during protest

In a clash between AAP MLAs and Delhi Police on Wednesday, nine policemen, including an ACP, were injured and a case has been registered against four AAP MLAs namely - Akhilesh Tripathi, Kuldeep Kumar, Rakhi Birla and Rohit Mehraulia. AAP MLAs were protesting along with 2,000 sanitation staffers over the SDMC's reported proposal to privatise sanitation work in Delhi. 

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Sanjay Bhatia said the protesters blocked the road and when police tried to stop them, they attacked police personnel. Nine policemen, including the ACP Kamla Market, were injured, police said, adding that 13 protesters were arrested. "We have registered a case against the four MLAs at Kamla Market police station. They staged a protest outside the Civic Centre without police permission and also violated COVID-19 guidelines," Bhatia said.

READ | Kejriwal inaugurates 15-TPD waste-to-energy plant at Ghazipur poultry market

"If the proposal was passed in the House today, all sanitation workers would become enslaved to private companies for forever and lakhs of sanitation workers from Delhi, who are already rearing themselves and their families with great hardship, will be under more difficult circumstances and the system in the country which was in the British time will haunt us back," AAP leader Durgesh Pathak claimed.

READ | Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal attacks central government over MCD doctors' pending salaries

Proposal to privatise the work of sanitation workers, now rejected

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation has reportedly brought a proposal to privatise the work of sanitation workers. However, reports also stated that SDMC Standing Committee has rejected the proposal. Standing Committee Chairman Rajdutt Gahlot said that cleaning and sanitation services are not being privatised and workers have no cause to fear for their jobs. The confusion among sanitation workers was caused due to a proposal submitted before the committee which has been rejected.

READ |Kejriwal to launch 'Green Delhi' app to redress complaints of air pollution-causing activities

READ | Delhi Mayors threaten dharna outside Kejriwal's house, accuse him of holding Rs 13,000 cr