Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 15

BJP state president Ashwani Sharma, along with key functionaries and veteran leaders of the BJP today called on the 180 ETT Teachers’ Union protesting outside the residence of Education Minister Pargat Singh here today.

It is the very first occasion that the BJP has reached out to a teachers’ union protesting in Jalandhar. Facing protests from farmers for the past one year, BJP leaders have finally begun holding meetings and reaching out to protesting unions.

Reaching out to the teachers, the party state BJP President Ashwani Sharma also assured the inclusion of teachers’ demand in the BJP’s election manifesto. Sharma was accompanied by senior leaders Manoranjan Kalia, KD Bhandari, district president Sushil Sharma, Rajesh Bagha, former Mayor Sunil Jyoti, Mohinder Bhagat, Raman Pabbi among others.

Speaking on the occasion, Ashwani Sharma said appointment of teachers on a regular basis and regularisation of already working teachers will be made a key priority of the party’s election manifesto in the upcoming elections. Terming the demand of the teachers valid, he termed the reduction in their salaries condemnable and questioned the move by the state government.

For the past over a month, various teachers unions and unemployed teachers and workers unions have held landmark protests against the Education Minister. At least two teachers have also been protesting atop water tanks since October end.

While veteran BJP leader and former Cabinet minister Manoranjan Kalia met them early this afternoon, later BJP state President Ashwani Sharma called upon the teachers with party’s key leadership and assured their demand to be included in party’s menifesto. While ETT teachers started going home to home to spread information against the state government’s policies days ago, they continue with the same. Teachers of the union today went across areas in urban estate - within the constituency of Pargat Singh, holding a ‘jago’ (folk song which is sung like a wake up call) against the state government.

Gurmukh Singh, one of the protesting teachers said, “The BJP members led by state president Ashwani Sharma came to meet us today. They have ensured inclusion of our demand for regualrisation in the party manifesto. Today is the first day that the BJP leadership has come to meet us. BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia first came to meet us, followed by state president Ashwani Sharma later in the afternoon.”