Monday blues could well turn into commuting woes for Delhiites as the auto-rickshaw drivers have called for a day-long strike, protesting the alleged harassment at the hands of the Delhi Traffic Police.
The call for strike has been given by the auto drivers associated with the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh – an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The union leaders said they have decided to hold the symbolic protest “as their requests even to the senior BJP leaders seem to have fallen on deaf ear”.
“The auto-rickshaw drivers are constantly being fleeced and harassed by traffic policemen. We had submitted a memorandum in the office of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh apart from writing to the Delhi Police Commissioner to rein in the traffic cops. But nothing came out of such requests,” said general secretary of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, Rajendra Soni.
The auto drivers also appear to be ‘miffed’ with the BJP Government’s decision to legalise the battery-operated rickshaws. “On the one hand, free run has been given to the battery rickshaws, but the auto-rickshaw drivers are being harassed. Vehicles are being impounded even when no case is registered against the drivers through the complaint number issued for the commuters. The policemen harass us even while in civil dress. During night hours, they force us to go on a particular route and don’t even pay the fare,” auto driver Mahesh said at Patel Chowk metro station.
Making an appeal to auto-rickshaw drivers not to go on strike, Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhayay said on Sunday that all their lawful demands will be supported by the party.
“Mr. Upadhyay has requested Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi to take cognizance of the repeated allegations made by the auto drivers of harassment by the traffic police,” a BJP statement said.
