Civic workers strike in Ahmednagar after Sena leader’s kin assaults two

Meeting between workers’ union and authorities ends in deadlock

After two workers of the Ahmednagar Municipal Corporation (AMC) were allegedly assaulted while disinfecting an area in the city by the relative of a local Shiv Sena corporator, several civic workers struck work for the second consecutive day on Friday.

A meeting between authorities and workers failed to break the impasse as the AMC Workers’ Union demanded that the civic body send a proposal to the State government to cancel the membership of Sena corporator Rita Bhakre.

The incident occurred on Thursday in Nagapur after an altercation between Ms. Bhakre’s relative and AMC workers who came to disinfect the area.

According to sources, Nilesh Bhakre, a relative of the Sena corporator, had allegedly berated the two AMC workers for spraying disinfectants in a zone which had already been disinfected.

Following a verbal exchange, Mr. Nilesh Bhakre, who incited other locals, thrashed the two AMC workers. Ms. Bhakre has claimed that the workers apparently ‘misbehaved’ with her relative and acted arrogantly.

A complaint has been lodged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code at Ahmednagar’s MIDC police station against Nilesh Bhakre and eight other persons, said the police. The AMC Workers’ Union has demanded that the accused be arrested immediately. They have also urged the AMC municipal commissioner to suspend Ms. Bhakre from her post.

A meeting between the union and authorities on the issue failed to break the impasse with the AMC workers resolutely refusing to get back to work in spite of the lockdown.

“We have demanded that the commissioner and authorities send a proposal to the State government to the effect that Ms. Bhakre be removed from her corporator’s post and the accused who assaulted our workers be arrested immediately,” said Anant Lokhande of the AMC Workers’ Union.