The Delhi Police yesterday detained a student of the National Law University, Delhi (NLUD) and a safai karamchari, after they had assembled outside the University campus for seeking enforcement of Labour Ministry’s written order for reinstating the housekeeping staff.
According to the statement issued by the student-protestors, they had assembled outside the campus only to get the Ministry’s order enforced and not protest.
On June 15, the Labour Ministry of Delhi had directed the University to reinstate all the 55 safai karmcharisand “directly deploy” the staff while paying them salaries.
As per the students of NLUD, the University didnot payany heed to this order andgathered for a dialogue with the administration. It is added that the University administration while refusing to meet the student representative, Ekta Tomar, did not allow her to enter the campus.
Subsequently, the Delhi Police also intervened in the matter and threatened to book them under stringent provisions such as Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code and Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code.
It is submitted that Anuj Yadav (Sub Inspector of PS Dwarka North, Sector 17) arrived and started intimidating the peacefully assembled sanitation workers.
The students of NLUD stated,
“The Police were continuously exerting mental pressure on the workers and delegitimizing their concern by saying that they were blocking the gates. Despite there being an assembly of less than 5 people at each of the gates with proper social distancing with a written order in hand, the Police continued to deal roughly with the workers to throw them away off the NLUd site.“
According to the students’ statement, the police forcefully took Neetu Singh Yadav (Workers’ Representative) and subsequently Ekta Tomar (Student Representative) into custody for allegedly ‘instigating workers to protest’.
Alleging thatpolice officials namely Anuj Yadav and Mahavir Singh made a mockery of the Labour Ministry’s Written Order, the students of NLUD further ordered,
“Ekta and Neetu were told by the officials that the Written Order was illegal and ambiguous. That the Labour Minister’s Order had no value. The University’s Executive Council, Governing Council and the Chancellor were the ones who had the decision-making power.“
They were later released, after intervention of certain lawyers and activists, with a warning that they would be booked under Section 188 and 144 if found in the vicinity of the University.
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