L Murugan accuses DMK of “deceiving” protesting sanitation workers in Chennai.
The workers have demanded regularisation and opposed waste management privatisation.
Murugan questions the DMK’s free meal plan and mocks its photo-op politics.
Union Minister Murugan Accuses DMK Government Of Betraying Sanitation Workers In Chennai
L Murugan criticises Tamil Nadu government over ongoing sanitation workers’ protest and questions free meal scheme launch.
Summary
Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan on Wednesday accused the DMK government of “deceiving” sanitation workers in Tamil Nadu who have been protesting for over three months seeking job regularisation and opposing the privatisation of solid waste management in Chennai.
According to PTI, Murugan referred to the ongoing protest by sanitation workers in the Royapuram and Thiru Vi Ka Nagar zones of the Greater Chennai Corporation, who have been on strike since August 1 demanding that their services be made permanent. The minister said the state government “does not appear willing” to meet the demands of the workers struggling for their livelihood.
Taking to the social media platform ‘X’, Murugan criticised the state’s plan to launch a free meal scheme for sanitation workers on November 15, calling it “a drama”. “The DMK government is enacting a drama by announcing to launch free meals to the sanitation workers on November 15. The workers will be provided a variety of dishes during the launch, and thereafter what will they get,” he asked in his post.
He also drew a parallel with the state’s free breakfast scheme for schoolchildren, alleging that the students are served “Puri, Pongal, Vada, etc. only when Chief Minister M K Stalin takes a photo.” Murugan went on to question how the DMK government, which he described as “spending its last days in office, indulging in collection, corruption, and commission,” would ensure food for sanitation workers after the launch event.
“The variety of dishes will appear only when the CM attends the event for a photo session,” Murugan alleged, adding that if the Chief Minister had “the slightest concern” for the workers, he would “abandon the advertising model and fraudulent campaigns and fulfil the legitimate demands of the sanitation workers.”
The sanitation workers have continued their demonstrations to draw the state government’s attention to their demands, PTI reported.
(With inputs from PTI)
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