Diplomat Correspondent
Jammu, (DD) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday staged a day-long boycott of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly in protest against the recent lathi charge on daily wage workers of the Jal Shakti department. The party accused the government of using excessive force against workers who were peacefully demanding their pending wages and job regularization.
Chaos erupted in the Assembly when BJP MLAs raised the issue, condemning the police action as “brutal” and “undemocratic.” Senior BJP leader Vikram Randhawa said, “These workers have been struggling for years without salaries, and instead of addressing their grievances, the administration chose to beat them with lathis. This is unacceptable.”
The opposition, including the National Conference (NC) and Congress, also joined in criticizing the government. Congress MLA Nizamuddin Bhat called the incident a “humanitarian crisis,” urging the administration to immediately release wages that have been pending for nearly 85 months.
In response, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed regret over the use of force but maintained that the administration was working on a long-term solution for daily wagers. However, his statement did little to pacify the BJP, whose members walked out of the House, announcing a day-long boycott.
Outside the Assembly, BJP leaders staged a symbolic protest, demanding justice for the daily wage workers. Meanwhile, worker unions have warned of an indefinite strike starting March 20 if their demands remain unmet.
The incident has once again put the spotlight on the plight of thousands of daily wage employees in Jammu and Kashmir, many of whom have been working without regular salaries or job security for years. With tensions rising, the government is under increasing pressure to find a resolution before the situation escalates further.(DD)
