Punjab. Protesters atop a tower for days again. AAP cared before polls. Doesn't now: BJP

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday claimed that unemployed linemen in Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-ruled Punjab have climbed atop the tower as a mark of protest demanding jobs in the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL).

BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa claimed that the linemen are atop the tower for 58 days, including days with scorching heat and rain.

Sirsa stated that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal did a "drama" to persuade teachers when they climbed water tanks few months ago (before polls) but now "Kejriwal and Chief Minister Bhagwant Man do not care".

"A few months ago, when the teachers of Punjab schools climbed on the water tank, @ArvindKejriwal @BhagwantMann did a drama to persuade them and also made promises. Today these unemployed linemen who climbed the tower for 58 days are there even in the rain. Only this change has come that now Kejriwal-Mann doesn't care," Sirsa tweeted.

Sirsa's remarks were in reference to Delhi CM Kejriwal interaction with protesting teachers atop an overhead water tank in Mohali by climbing over a vehicle. He had denounced the Congress regime to have compelled teachers to sit on a cemented water tank. The AAP national convenor had claimed that his party sends teachers to England and Sweden for training whereas the then Congress government in Punjab sent them to overhead water tanks.

Unemployed linemen are protesting against the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) demanding jobs. Last month, the members of the Unemployed Linemen Union demonstrated outside PSPCL headquarters, following which police resorted to mild lathi charge.

Recently, Punjab Power Minister Harbhajan Singh said that PSPCL has invited applications for 2000 posts of Assistant Linemen, for which they have to clear exams. However, protesting linemen demand they should be hired on the basis of apprenticeship, a protocol followed earlier.