Rural workers’ protest in Lucknow turns violent

LUCKNOW - A number of gram rozgar sewaks (rural employment workers) engaged in vandalism and fought pitched battles with the police as their protest to press for acceptance of their demands turned violent here Thursday.

Demanding regularisation of their services and a hike in remuneration, the workers, who provide support to gram panchayats (village council) in implementation of public welfare schemes, started their demonstration in the morning with a sit-in at the Shaeed Smarak.

Later, a group of the workers were assured by government officials that their demands would be considered and that the final decision on the matter would be taken in the upcoming meeting of the cabinet.

“After the talks with the government officials, majority of the rural employment workers decided to call off their agitation. But a group of the employment workers, suddenly turned violent and started pelting stones at the police, damaging vehicles and public property,” District Magistrate Anil Sagar told reporters.

Police then baton-charged the protesters and also used water cannons on them to bring the situation under control.

After being chased away by the police from the Shaheed Smarak, protesters headed to the Kaiserbagh Bus station, where they smashed window panes of several buses.

Some of the workers jumped into the river Gomti, which flows near the protest site.

However, police officials said no serious casualties had been reported.

Lucknow Deputy Inspector General (DIG) D.K. Thakur told reporters: “No one has been seriously injured in the incident…No one has drowned. The situation is now under control.”

“Additional security has been deployed in area in the wake of the violent protests. Senior police and district administration officials are camping in the area,” he added.

Meanwhile, Sagar said that some of the workers who indulged in violence have been arrested.

“Efforts are on to identify others who resorted to violence and vandalism,” he added.