The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Leader of Opposition (LoP) in MCD House Ankush Narang launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led government after the committee meeting failed to resolve the ongoing strike of Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) employees. He said BJP Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh handed 5,200 MTS workers a fake showpiece in the name of a committee this Diwali, only to skip its very first meeting along with senior officials. The MCD LoP revealed that the BJP is forcing Hindu employees to spend their festivals on the streets while hiding behind false figures — claiming 33,000 beneficiaries instead of 9,000 MTS staff and inflating the cost from ₹41 crore to ₹400 crore.
MCD House meeting
AAP’s LoP in MCD House Ankush Narang stated, “On 14 October, during the MCD House meeting, Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh had announced the formation of a committee to resolve the demands of MTS employees who are on strike. He had said the committee’s decision would come within 24 to 48 hours. But no such committee was formed at that time. Now, ten days later, the committee held its first meeting on Saturday, yet no solution to the employees’ problems has been found.” He elaborated, “The committee consists of four members from the BJP, one each from the AAP and the Congress, and three representatives of MTS employees. However, Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh himself did not attend this meeting, nor did senior officials from the MCD Health Department. What, then, was the purpose of this meeting? It clearly shows that the BJP has no intention of resolving the issues faced by MTS employees.”
Employees have been on strike for the last 25 days
Highlighting the plight of the striking workers, Ankush Narang said, “These employees have been on strike for the last 25 days. Their Dussehra, Karvachauth, Diwali, Bhaidooj, and now Chhath Puja have all been wasted on the streets. All these are Hindu festivals. Yet, the BJP, which claims to be the protector of Hindutva and Sanatan Dharma, has forced these Hindu employees to spend their festivals on the road. Diwali, the biggest Hindu festival, was turned into a dark Diwali for these workers by the BJP. What kind of hypocrisy is this? The BJP, which seeks votes in the name of Hindus, has now pushed Hindu employees to sit on the streets.”
