Hundreds of women anganwadi workers and helpers, who took out a rally on Friday afternoon in north Delhi, alleged that police detained four people associated with the protest without giving them any information.
Later, the union said that all four supporters were released by the police around 9 p.m. The workers were continuing the dharna outside the police station at 10.30 p.m., as the police has allegedly seized their sound systems.
When contacted, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi said that legal action has been initiated against the organiser and no anganwadi worker or protester has been detained.
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The workers under the banner of Delhi State Anganwadi Workers and Helpers’ Union have been on an indefinite strike for the last 12 days demanding higher wages near Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence in north Delhi.
According to the union, they started the rally around 2 p.m. from their protest site near the CM’s residence and they marched till Delhi University and came back. The four people, who are drivers and supporters, were detained once the rally was over, the union spokesperson said.
The honorarium for anganwadi workers in Delhi was last increased in August 2017 after 58 days of strike and the present honorarium of anganwadi workers and helpers in Delhi are ₹9,678 and ₹4,839 respectively, as per the union.
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As per the union, on September 7, 2021, they had met the Women and Child Development Minister and they were assured that their demands would be addressed within a week.
“But he never got back after that. On January 6 this year, we tried to meet him again at the secretariat, but did not even give an appointment,” the spokesperson of the union had said.