Police, metro workers clash

Workers allege ‘unwarranted’ caning; police say they were enforcing social distancing

Violence erupted at URC metro workers’ colony in Bommanahalli on Sunday.

The URC metro workers’ colony situated in Bommanahalli turned into a virtual battleground for some time on Sunday as hundreds of workers, irked by what they alleged was “unwarranted caning” by the police, resorted to stone pelting and damaged vehicles parked on the premises. The colony houses around 800 employees who are anxious to return home and miffed by the contractors’ attitude for allegedly not helping them.

According to witnesses, it began when the employees raised a complaint with the media and were awaiting their arrival. It was around 3 p.m. when a few workers were standing outside the gate to receive the media when the police reached the spot and allegedly caned them for violating social distancing. The news of police caning spread in the colony and agitated workers ransacked the premises, damaging vehicles and pelting stones at the police.

A few workers and police personnel sustained injuries and several vehicles belonging to Namma Metro parked in the colony were damaged.

Workers who spoke to

The Hindu alleged that the supervisor and the contractors did not want the workers to go home and were preventing them from talking to the media. “There is no food and water and the company had not taken care of the employees’ needs during the lockdown. Many workers have not been paid their wages and are finding it hard to get food,” an agitated employee said.

Another worker wishing anonymity said, “The contractors are not proving us proper food and drinking water is not enough. When we ask for food, they threaten us with the police. How long we can live here like this? We want to go home and the contractors don’t want that.”

Others also alleged that the contractors were not paying their dues because they knew they would leave and never return.

The police said that “frustration” among the workers led to incident. “We came to the spot to enforce social distancing as hundreds of anxious workers had gathered leading to a tense situation. We we were trying to disperse them when stones were pelted at us and the crowd went violent and ransacked the premises,” an police officer said.

Soon after the incident, additional platoons were deployed to monitor the situation. Senior police officers camped in the area to monitor law and order.

Meanwhile, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) officials said a team had gone to the colony to assess the situation.

S. Murugan, Additional Commissioner of Police, Et said that it was misunderstanding that led to the incident. “The police went to the site to pacify agitated workers who are frustrated because they were not allowed to go to their native places. The police tried to convince them that they will take them to the railway station in batches and they need to wait for their turn. They tried to enforce social distancing in the group, but a few workers started pelting stones at them. The situation is under control and additional police have been deployed,” he said.