Congress' Surjewala accuses Haryana govt of ‘stubbornness, arrogance’ over sanitation workers’ strike

Kaithal (Haryana) [India], September 7 (ANI): Congress General Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala on Sunday accused the Nayab Singh Saini-led Haryana government of showing "stubbornness and arrogance" towards sanitation workers protesting across the state for their demands.
Addressing the issue in Kaithal, Surjewala said thousands of sanitation workers had been agitating for their rights for nearly a month and questioned why the state government and Chief Minister had not held talks with them.
"The Nayab Saini government's ill intentions toward sanitation workers have been buried under heaps of garbage. The reality is that thousands of our sanitation worker brothers and sisters across Haryana are agitating for their rights," Surjewala said.
He said sanitation workers, being economically vulnerable, face significant difficulties when participating in prolonged protests.
"A poor person thinks ten times before joining a protest because they lack the time, money, and resources. Yet, our poor sanitation worker colleagues have been protesting for nearly a month now," he said.
Surjewala questioned the state government's response to the agitation and alleged that neither the government nor the Chief Minister had made sufficient efforts to listen to the workers.
"Why does this government display such stubbornness and arrogance that neither the government nor the Chief Minister has the time to listen to these sanitation workers?" he said.
The remarks come amid an extended strike by sanitation workers in Haryana that has disrupted waste collection and sanitation services in several areas. The strike had entered its second month in parts of the state, with garbage piling up in some localities and concerns being raised over public health and municipal services.
The state government, meanwhile, had directed protesting sanitation workers to return to duty by September 5, amid the continuing standoff.
The issue has also become a point of political confrontation between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress, with Congress leaders backing the workers’ demands and targeting the Saini government over its handling of the strike. (ANI)