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The Print
06-08-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Mann govt under fire for ‘smothering protest'—teacher under police watch, ‘detention' for dissenters
'I was not even planning to go to Ludhiana,' Sidhana told mediapersons Monday. 'The police reached my house at 6 am and detained me. Later, they accompanied me to the school where they sat next to me till 2 pm when the CM's function at Ludhiana had ended.' As pictures and videos of the teacher, Veerpal Kaur Sidhana, sitting in her classroom attending to her students with the police next to her went viral Tuesday, the opposition put the state's ruling AAP on the mat for 'smothering growing voices' of protest against the government. Chandigarh: On Monday, a pre-primary teachers' union leader in Punjab's Bathinda carried out her school duties with a police team keeping a watch on her lest she organise a protest at a government function in Ludhiana where Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was the chief guest. 'I went to sit in the classroom with only a few students so that they don't get traumatised with the police presence. There is a legal bar on police entering schools. For over two decades, I have never seen such a move undertaken by any government,' said Sidhana. She leads the Shaheed Kiranjit Kaur Pre-Primary Associate Adhyapak Union, Punjab, an organisation that is demanding regularisation of services in government schools. Leader of the opposition, senior Congressman Partap Singh Bajwa, slammed the Punjab government, saying police in classrooms was the Delhi model of school education, bringing in a revolution that terrified teachers and kids alike, referring to AAP's stint in power in the Capital. 'All this because the teacher might protest for job regularisation? And guess what—she wasn't even going!' he wrote on X. 🏫 @AAPPunjab Shiksha Kranti in Action: Welcome to the Delhi Model – now with police in classrooms! So THIS is what @ArvindKejriwal and @BhagwantMann meant by Education Revolution? 👮♀️ 3 uniformed cops sat inside a pre-primary classroom in Bathinda for 6 hours — not to protect… — Partap Singh Bajwa (@Partap_Sbajwa) August 5, 2025 Another Congress leader, Pargat Singh, said on X that the tendency of the government to detain protesters was a 'dangerous, dictatorial trend'. Akali leader Parambans Singh Romana termed the action a 'shame' on the Mann government. The true face of #Badlav and #SikhyaKranti ….police enters a pre-primary classroom in a govt school in Bathinda to prevent a teacher from joining a protest against the govt ‼️@ArvindKejriwal and @BhagwantMann do you realise the effect on such young impressionable minds when… — Parambans Singh Romana (@ParambansRomana) August 5, 2025 The Punjab government has so far offered no explanation for the incident. ThePrint reached AAP spokesperson Neel Garg via message for a comment, but he did not respond. However, at the Ludhiana function where Mann launched ward and village defence committees to curb drug abuse, he criticised the earlier governments in Punjab for silencing voices of protest. 'During Akali rule, people would sit with folded hands in villages when their leaders spoke. Then in 2014, when I became MP, I told the people to question their leaders. Some MPs from Punjab even complained to me that I had made it difficult for them to get out of their cars in villages as people were asking questions,' he said. 'This is the change… I am accountable and anything can be asked from me… In Sunam, once someone dared question Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa during a public programme and he was immediately taken away and locked up.' The Bathinda school incident comes less than a week after a protester was removed by the police from the venue of a function in Sunam where Mann and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal were speaking to mark the death anniversary of martyr Udham Singh on 31 July. At the event, the man sitting among the audience had stood up and held up a banner that said '646 ETT', referring to the union of trained teachers who are demanding jobs from the government, but was immediately surrounded by the police. Also Read: 2 states, 2 dams & a political slugfest: The Nangal water sharing dispute between Punjab, Haryana Crackdown Earlier in the day on 31 July, leaders of the '646 ETT' union had claimed that many of them were put under house arrest to stop them from protesting against the government. Even some members of the extended family of martyr Udham Singh who were invited to the 31 July programme alleged that they were removed from the stage and detained for hours in a room after they informed the administration that they will demand a government job from Mann and Kejriwal. 'I was sent an invitation card for the programme to be honoured as a family member of Shaheed Udham Singh. I was made to sit on the stage initially, but when I told the SDM on duty that I will be giving a memorandum regarding the pending issue of a government job to my son, I was asked by the police to step down from the stage and taken to a room where I was made to sit for hours,' Jeet Singh, grandson of Udham Singh's sister Aas Kaur, told ThePrint Monday. 'The SDM could have just taken the memorandum himself instead of treating me like this. I was a teenager when I along with my grandmother lit Udham Singh's pyre in 1974 after his body was exhumed and brought to India from London. And this is how the government of Punjab honours us today,' he added. Jagga Singh, Jeet Singh's son who too was detained in a room after he went looking for his father, said: 'We were told that Kejriwal and Mann would meet us in the room to talk about my job. But no one came to meet us. Instead of humiliating us like this, it would have been better had the government shot us dead.' He added that he had been promised a government job by Captain Amarinder Singh when he was CM of Punjab in 2006 but no government since then has bothered to fulfil that promise. 'I work in a cloth shop and my elder brother works as a painter,' he said. When contacted, Sangrur deputy commissioner Viraj Shyamkarn Tidke told ThePrint that he had received a complaint in the matter and was inquiring into it. Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira put up a post on X detailing the ordeal of Udham Singh's relatives. 'The truth about fake revolutionaries like @BhagwantMann who exploit the name of Shaheed Udham Singhji for political purposes but disrespect his living family members,' he wrote. Khaira was also among the first to highlight the Bathinda incident. On Sunday, protesting computer teachers who tried to meet the CM in Sangrur were allegedly roughed up by the police and stopped from meeting him. On 1 August, at Arniwala village in Fazilka tehsil, almost 50 unemployed teachers were rounded up by the police from outside the venue of an event attended by Mann and Kejriwal, where they were raising slogans against the CM. The duo was on a visit to a school of eminence in Arniwala. (Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui) Also Read: Punjab is new Kingdom of Kejriwal as CM Mann plays host but Delhi AAP takes over power corridors
Hindustan Times
15-07-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Places of worship, not traffic signals, hot spots for beggars in Lucknow: Survey
LUCKNOW Contrary to perception, only a small percentage of beggars (2%) relies on traffic signals for their income. Temples and mosques are the primary locations where they receive alms, along with food and clothes, reveals a social organization's survey. According to the report, 2,411 people were found to be engaged in begging at 101 locations in eight zones of Lucknow. (File Photo) As many as 30% of the beggars target temples and mosques while a mere 2% use traffic signals, 1% use bus stops and 23% use all three places for seeking alms. Three per cent use both traffic signals and bus stops, 15% use traffic signals and temples/mosques, 25% use both bus stops and temples/mosques and around 3% do not have any fixed place for begging. They largely get cash in alms but also get ready-to-eat items, fruits, sweets, clothes, etc, on different occasions, as per the report by social organisation 'Badlav' that was handed over to minister of state for social welfare Asim Arun on Sunday. 'Religious places are hot spots for beggars as people go there with a sense of devotion and donation in the name of is why it becomes easier for beggars to get alms. We will raise the issue with the district administration and request them for anti-beggary drives outside religious places as well,' said Sharad Patel, director of 'Badlav'. The minister wrote on his X account: 'Yogiji is emphasizing on Zero Poverty Campaign and NGOs can be of great help in this. Today, I attended the presentation programme of the survey report (2024-25) based on 'Status of people involved in begging in Lucknow: Neglect and Inclusion' by NGO Badlaav in Lucknow. Such grassroots level surveys reveal the ground reality and help the government in policy making.' The objective of the study was to ascertain the number of people engaged in begging and understand the socio-economic status of these people. According to the report, 2,411 people were found to be engaged in begging at 101 locations in eight zones of Lucknow. As many as 97% of people engaged in begging are from 44 districts of UP, out of which the majority are from Lucknow and four neighbouring districts, including Barabanki, Hardoi, Sitapur and Unnao. The report also suggests that 3% among these people are widows, 3% are physically challenged and 11% senior citizens. Among the identified three categories of vulnerable people, 13% are receiving widow pensions, 40% are receiving disability pensions and 5% are receiving old-age pensions. As per the survey findings, one or more family members of 64% are engaged in the act of begging, whereas 36% are the only people who are in the act of begging in their family. All members of 22% of people, mothers of 41% of people and both parents of 20% of people are engaged in the act of begging. Shelter is a big issue for people engaged in begging, where around 38% of people have to spend their nights on the footway, 52% have small huts, 2% have kuccha houses, 5% live in pucca houses, 3% reside in rental spaces, suggests the report. District social welfare officer (Lucknow) Anjani Singh said the department will take note of the findings of the report and strategise accordingly. 'We are yet to receive a detailed report about the findings. Once we study the report, we will ensure that people involved in begging get benefits of government schemes and are brought into the mainstream of society. We will also ensure that kids engaged in begging get enrolled in schools,' emphasised. The survey report also revealed that the income of people engaged in begging is largely dependent on festivals and weather, where during extreme summer, winter and rainy seasons, they have to struggle to meet their daily needs. The daily income of 18% of these is below ₹50 per day, 32% is between ₹51 to ₹100 per day, 35% is between ₹101 and ₹200, 12% is between ₹201 and ₹300, whereas 2% of people earn more than ₹301 per day, claims the report. Around 33% of these people do not have any identity proof, 64% have an Aadhaar card, 30% have a ration card, 3% have a driving licence as well, and 1% have all three documents. At the same time, among people having ration cards, 80% are receiving rations for their families, it added. The majority (75%) of people do not have a bank account, which makes them vulnerable, as they cannot even save their earned income in a bank, which may provide safety during a crisis, suggested the report. District Magistrate Vishak G said a drive will be conducted outside religious places, not just to curb beggary, but also to provide support and rehabilitation to destitute people and those who don't have any support system. 'Organised child beggary is mainly done at intersections and busy streets, while at religious places there are many old people also who don't have any support system and are rescued by social organisations,' he said. 'Earlier in the anti-beggary drive, we covered intersections primarily because we found child beggars there. In the second phase, we will cover other places including religious sites with the help of social organisations. More than 100 people were rescued in the past from such sites with the help of social organisation 'Apna Ghar Ashram'. We will be calling them again and places of worship, along with hospitals, will be covered. People who need help genuinely, will be rehabilitated. Also, kids involved in begging will be enrolled in schools,' added the DM.
Hindustan Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Row as AAP Delhi spokesperson named Punjab Pollution Control Board chief
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab on Monday appointed the party's Delhi spokesperson, Reena Gupta, as chairperson of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), triggering a row with opposition parties slamming the move to name a non-Punjabi for the top post. Apart from Gupta, the Punjab government on Monday appointed 31 people, mostly from the AAP, as chairmen, directors, and members in various government boards and corporations of the state. Gupta will be the first women chairperson of PPCB and 27th overall since the formation of the board. According to sources privy to the developments, Gupta was the only candidate from Delhi for the post of PPCB chairperson. 'The remaining 27 were mostly from Punjab, including top engineers and two former IAS officers,' the official said, pleading anonymity. Chief secretary KAP Sinha-led selection panel on Friday had shortlisted the incumbent PPCB chairperson Adarsh Pal Vig and Thapar University professor Amit Dhir, apart from Reena Gupta for the post. However, chief minister Bhagwant Mann selected the name of Reena Gupta and her appointment was notified on Monday, the official added. Established in 1975, the PPCB is a nodal agency in matters related to enforcing environmental regulations and managing pollution in Punjab. It is also the nodal figure during farm fires and one of the vital agencies which formulates policies to tackle stubble burning. As per Gupta's online profile, she has served as an adviser to the government of Delhi during the AAP government and also has experience working with the World Bank. She was also the AAP spokesperson in Delhi. 'Reena has worked extensively for the party and advised the Delhi government during the AAP regime on the issues of environment, education and other fields. She has vast knowledge on the issue of environment, and her selection is on merit', said an AAP leader who didn't wish to be named. Another non-Punjabi, Deepak Chauhan, has been made chairman of the Punjab Large Industrial Development Board. The opposition parties have slammed the move. Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa said two non-Punjabis have been made chairperson of important bodies. 'Deepak Chauhan, ex-PA to backroom boss Sandeep Pathak, hailing from UP, is now chairman of Punjab's Large Industrial Development Board. He has no industrial experience. Meanwhile, Reena Gupta — another non-Punjabi & Former Delhi SEIAA member — is now chairperson of Punjab Pollution Control Board. 'Nepotism? No no… it's called Badlav. ', he said on X. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said that CM Mann has surrendered two of the top posts in the state to outsiders. 'Now he (CM Mann) has surrendered two key posts - Chairperson of the Punjab Pollution Control Board & Chairman of the Punjab Large Industrial Development Board to acolytes of Kejriwal,' Sukhbir said on X. 'Never before in the history of the state have outsiders been handed over all important posts,' Badal added on X.
