Rahul Gandhi again joins MCD workers' protests

Questions the current 'development' paradigm

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi joined cause with MCD safai karmacharis at Jantar Mantar today, (the second time in six days), assuring them that he would fight for their 'respect". Hitting out at the AAP government in Delhi and the BJP led Central government, Gandhi said "Modiji and Kejriwal think that by merely making promises they can bring about a change."

Warning the protesting joint front of MCD Unions of safai karamcharis, that these promises were hollow, Gandhi urged them to continue exerting pressure to have their demands met. Highlighting the common ground in the causes that he has supported of late, Gandhi said that he spoke for "the poor farmers, labourers, safai karamcharis and all those weak and oppressed in the entire country. " He questioned the model of 'development' being pursued which ignored the basic rights of the poor and the weak.

The workers have claimed that despite the assurances by the AAP government they had not been paid their wages and have threatened to go on indefinite strike if their demands which includes timely payment of wages, contractual work being made permanent, are not met.

Bolstering the cause of the sanitation workers, who have resorted to strikes twice of late, Gandhi said, "I'll stand with you, whereever you want. For one day, 10 days, 50 days or 100 days."

Questioning the development model being touted by the Modi led Centre and other states, Gandhi said, "What model of development are we talking about? In Bhatta Parsaul land was taken away to build the F1 racing track." Drawing parallels in these diverse scenarios, Gandhi narrated his experiences during his Chattisgarh visit where he learnt that an industrialist accrues Rs 1 crore per day from mining while the poor farmer and adivasi who have been divested of their land get a paltry Rs 50,000 as compensation. Reiterating that the sanitation workers were not mere workers but soldiers who kept the city clean, Gandhi said, "We don't need such development."

Incidentally the Congress failed to win a single MP or MLA seat in Delhi and does not even control any of the three municipal bodies in Delhi which is under the control of the BJP. Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken has been attempting to gain a toehold by hitting out against the city government and the civic authorities for their failures on a daily basis. Maken has ensured that Gandhi take up topical issues in the capital and NCR, be it that of the flat owners in Noida or that of disgruntled sanitation workers.