BJP's dirty politics endangering future of lakhs of students studying in MCD schools: Dilip Pandey

Senior AAP leader and MLA Dilip Pandey said that the BJP-led MCD has once again attacked the livelihoods of its employees, compelling them to come out on the streets and have their voices heard.

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New Delhi: The BJP-led MCD has once again attacked the livelihoods of its employees, compelling them to come out on the streets and have their voices heard. Over 7,000 MCD teachers are on an indefinite strike but BJP's arrogance fails to recognise their distress even after 14 days, informed Senior AAP leader and MLA Dilip Pandey. To take this fight further, the MCD Employees Federation will join the teachers strike. Safai Karamcharis, doctors, paramedic staff, horticulture employees will together protest against BJP. 

Dileep Pandey also said that the BJP-ruled MCD has repeatedly failed to pay salaries to teachers for over 3 months, and DA & HRA have not been paid to teachers for 6 months now. The BJP's dirty politics is endangering the future of lakhs of students studying in MCD schools and the Aam Aadmi Party stands with all the employees fighting for their rights and salaries out on the streets, he further said. 

The BJP-ruled MCD deliberately torturing its teachers, as the students studying in MCD schools belong to poor and labourer communities, said North MCD Leader of Opposition Vikas Goel. He said that the BJP-ruled MCD is lagging on all fronts and it is evident that it is intentionally trying to sabotage the people of Delhi and leave it in ruins. But, he concluded by saying, the Delhiites are well-aware of BJP’s incompetence, misgovernance, and corruption and they will throw the BJP out of power in the upcoming MCD elections. 

AAP Senior Leader and MLA Dilip Pandey said, “In the last 5-7 years, the one phenomenon that is consistently going on in the MCD, apart from corruption, is struck by MCD’s employees. Every single kind of worker is striking: as you might recall in 2018, a two months-long strike took place. Despite this, the BJP-ruled MCD did not take any necessary action to meet the demands of its employees. 2020 also saw a series of strikes. And now over the last 14 days, over 7000 teachers from BJP-ruled MCD’s 714 schools have gone on a strike. They have left online classes to strike for their livelihood so that their kids can have at least a one-time meal. 

"They are not on strike for any extravagant or immoral demands, but just for the sake of their sustenance. They say that in the last 3 months, they have not been able to pay their regular vendors, that their dignity is in shambles, but they are not receiving their 3 months’ worth of salary. That is all they are asking for," Pandey said. 

He further said, “Having held back salaries for 3 months, DA & HRA for 6 months, the BJP’s flagrant antics are not just limited to the teachers. The Safai Karamcharis working at the MCD aren’t able to provide sustenance for themselves. Doctors and other medics working at MCD hospitals and dispensaries are not receiving their salaries. Horticulture workers employed for the maintenance of MCD parks are struggling for their livelihood – they are crying for help. But look at the BJP’s arrogance in its power: it has been 14 days, but not a single leader or councillor has come to even meet with the striking teachers."

"We understand the importance of dialogue and discussion in a democracy, but despite 14 days having gone by - the sheer egotism and arrogance of the BJP, its leaders, all 3 mayors, BJP Delhi President, all other councillors and workers – is appalling. The very people standing first in line to defame the Delhi Government are deliberately ignoring teachers who are raising their voice for their rights. Imagine what the future of the students will look like in a country where the teachers are on the road fighting for their basic rights,” he added.

According to Dilip Pandey, “The BJP has not just attacked the livelihoods of 7000 plus teachers with its dirty politics, but also endangered the future of lakhs of students studying in MCD schools. Till now, the strike only consisted of the teachers. But it has now been brought to notice that starting tomorrow, the entire MCD Employees Federation will join the strike for an indefinite duration. Safai Karamcharis, doctors, paramedic staff, horticulture employees will all join their forces with the teachers and amplify their voice together, in the hope to reach the ears of the ignorant and arrogant BJP leaders who are drunk on power. They hope that since just the teachers’ singular voice did not affect them, maybe a collective slogan will ring in their ears, melt their hearts, so that the salaries they are owed for sustaining their livelihood is given to them.”

Dilip Pandey further said, “If this isn’t BJP’s fear of the last few months in power in the MCD, then what else is it? Despite selling off properties at odd prices, they are not paying their employees. Can any such incident ever be recalled under the Delhi Government? We often received personal requests from various MCD departments and letters from MCD doctors to hire them under the Delhi Government, so that they’d at least receive our salaries on time – at least the money which is owed to them will not end up in Delhi Government’s pockets, unlike the BJP-ruled MCD."

"So the Aam Aadmi Party’s requests the BJP-ruled MCD and its power-hungry leaders that before the situation in Delhi gets any worse, listen to the demands made by your employees. Before you wreak more havoc with your antics and your incompetence, your arrogance upon the Delhi Government and the people of Delhi, and before all your employees completely turn against you – listen to them, their interests, their demands, and pay them their salaries. Snap out of your arrogance, come down from the power high and think about the children and families of these employees you are troubling.” 

Declaring AAP’s support for the striking MCD employees, Pandey concluded, “The Aam Aadmi Party stands with all the employees fighting for their rights, for their salaries out on the streets. We are joining forces and adding our voices to amplify their demands. Lastly, we would like to say to these employees: your struggle is valid. Be it teachers, doctors or paramedics, Safai Karamcharis or horticulture employees – their collective voice for their rights is justified. The Aam Aadmi Party extends its unconditional support to them and will stand with them until their demands are met.” 

Leader of Opposition for North MCD Vikas Goel said, “The Bharatiya Janata Party has been in power in the MCD for the past 15 years. And in these 15 years, their incompetence, misgovernance, and corruption reached newer heights every time – the result of which is evident today. Employees are not receiving their salaries. Contractors haven’t received their payments for some 5 years. No development work has taken place. Retired employees are not receiving their pensions. And now even the BJP has realised that in a couple of months, it will be ousted from the MCD in the elections. And it is the result of their fear of losing power that they are deliberately troubling MCD teachers and other employees."

"The Delhi Government pays 70% of the teachers’ salaries, so if you look at the lack of payment from BJP-led MCD’s end, which accounts for only 30% – which amounts to a year’s worth of salaries not being paid by the MCD.  So it appears that the BJP-ruled MCD is deliberately torturing its teachers, for the students studying in MCD schools belong to poor and labourer communities. They send their children to schools with a lot of hope and expectations of a better future. But the BJP-led MCD is carelessly playing with the future of these poor children," he added.

He further said, “There appears to be an intricate conspiracy behind all of this – for now the poor conditions of schools is causing students to leave them, after which the land for these schools are being sold off by the BJP at odd prices. So far, the BJP has already sold 35 such schools, saying that they are of no use as children are not studying in them anymore. It seems like a deliberate plan by the BJP to compel students to quit schools so that the land can be sold. Similar is the case for hospitals, the doctors and paramedics working there. Same goes for all of MCD’s departments. MCD is lagging on all fronts and so it is evident that it is intentionally trying to sabotage the people of Delhi and leave it in ruins, making calculated moves to wreck schools, hospitals, sell the land and then shift the accountability onto Delhi Government."

"The BJP is clearly disconcerted with the people’s fondness for Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and is trying its last hand at defaming the state government. But the people of Delhi are well-aware of whose intentions are clear, and whose are tainted. They know that CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal is the ideal son that Delhi deserves, while the BJP’s Adesh Gupta and company solely consists of degenerates that are hell bent on ransacking the nation’s capital, who will be thrown out of power come MCD elections in February 2022,” he added.