Chandigarh, June 17
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab Youth Wing has supported the protests being staged by the contractual teachers and unemployed ETT teachers in the state to enforce their rightful demands and demanded the government to accept the demands of the teachers without any delay and issue a letter of implementation. This was stated by AAP Youth Wing state president and MLA Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer and co-president Anmol Gagan Mann during a press conference held at the party headquarters here on Thursday. On the occasion, Bagha Purana assembly constituency incharge Amritpal Singh Sidhu, vice president Jagdeep Singh Sandhu, Mohali district president Gurtej Singh Pannu and former Teachers union president Jaswinder Singh Sidhu were present.
Addressing the media, Meet Hayer said that the same atrocities were now being perpetrated on teachers in the government of Captain Amarinder Singh as it was during the Akali Dal Badal and Bharatiya Janata Party government. He said that the people of Punjab had not forgotten the beating of women teachers by the Badal ministers and the promises made by Captain Amarinder Singh to the Akali government were still remembered today from which Captain Amarinder Singh had recanted. Hayer said that education providers including AIEs, EGS, STRs, and contractual teachers had given their precious time to government schools and worked on salaries of just Rs 6,000 to Rs 10,000. “The Congress MLAs and ministers did not go to the Chief Minister for the demands of the people or teachers, but for their chairs and family jobs,” he added.
Meanwhile reminding the Chief Minister of his promise, Anmol Gagan Mann said that the newspapers of that time and the CDs of Captain’s statements with the teachers were a clear indication that Captain Amarinder Singh had joined the dharna in Mohali before the elections and had promised to regularise the services of teachers in the very first cabinet meeting when his government will come to power; but after coming to power, Captain reneged from all his promises. “The Captain government has reneged on its election promises and had neither regularised the contractual employees nor increased their salaries,” she added.
She further said that a government that cannot respect teachers is doomed to collapse. She challenged the Captain government to show only five smart schools built in Punjab on the lines of Delhi. The AAP leaders said that in the 2022 elections, the youth of Punjab would take stock of the false promises made by Captain Amarinder Singh and will give a befitting reply to Captain and the Congress by ousting them from power. Later, party’s Youth Wing president Meet Hayer, co-president Anmol Gagan Mann along with the entire team joined the teachers’ dharna in Mohali. They said that the AAP will continue to support their struggle.
