Thousands of anganwadi workers, who assembled at the Glass House in Tumakuru to take out a padayatra to Bengaluru, were stopped by the police on Tuesday.
Around 20,000 workers from various districts of the State had come to Tumakuru to take out a padayatra under the banner of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, demanding that the State government start preschool in anganwadi centres, among other demands.
District president of the Anganwadi Naukarara Sangha G. Kamala said that they had planned to stay at Sharanara Loka in Nandihalli, en route to Bengaluru, but the police did not allow them to take out the padayatra and hence they were forced to stay in the Glass House and on pavements on the banks of Amanikere.
The State unit of CITU has condemned the State government’s action of not allowing them to carry out the padayatra. It has alleged that the government was trying to suppress the protest of the anganwadi workers.
The Akhila Bharata Janavadi Mahila Sanghatane has condemned the arrest of anganwadi workers in a few districts, including Kolar and Chickballapur, who were coming towards Tumakuru to participate in the padayatra. The organisation has also alleged that the police was targeting S. Varalakshmi, who is the State president of CITU.
