Left, DMK MPs Protest At Parliament’s Gandhi Statue

Rajya Sabha MPs from the Left and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) parties on Monday staged a protest inside the Parliament premises against the government in support of the two-day ‘Bharat Bandh’ strike called by trade unions.

The MPs held the protest at the Gandhi statue when the Rajya Sabha was adjourned till noon due to disruption in proceedings by Opposition parties over rising prices of petroleum products and over trade union protests.

The MPs also marched towards the Vijay Chowk from the Gandhi statue to protest against government policies.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) MPs Jharna Das Baidya, K Somaprasad, V Sivadasan, CPI leader Binoy Viswam, DMK leaders TKS Elangovan, were among those who took part in the protest.

Speaking to ANI, Baidya said that the government has not done anything since 2014 except privatisation.

“Air India to Airports, everything is being privatised. What is the meaning of Parliament, MPs, and Ministers when the government will not do anything for the public?… The trade union strike was very necessary for common people. We are supporting the strike. As long as BJP will keep pushing its own free will, we will keep protesting,” Baidya said.

The Rajya Sabha MPs held the protest as Central trade unions on Monday began a two-day nationwide strike against the government’s alleged wrong policies that are affecting farmers, workers, and people.

A joint forum of central trade unions had given a call for a nationwide strike on March 28 and March 29.

Their demands include the scrapping of the labour codes, no privatisation of any form, scrapping of the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP), increased allocation of wages under MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act), and regularisation of contract workers among others.

The central trade unions that are part of this joint forum are the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), Trade Union Coordination Centre (TUCC), Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), Labour Progressive Federation (LPF), and United Trade Union Congress (UTUC).

However, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) has kept its distance from the strike. (ANI)