Up in arms against Chandigarh Mayor Rajesh Kalia, the safai karamcharis under Chandigarh MC have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, stating that Kalia be removed as the Mayor else they will go on indefinite strike in the city.
“We request that Kalia be removed from the position of the Mayor, else we will have to take an extreme step. If Chandigarh’s sanitation condition deteriorates, Kalia would be entirely responsible for it,” the letter stated.
Responding to the letter, Kalia said, “Their work is to blackmail..they always blackmail. Now, I will see how they go on a protest. Had there been someone else in my place, they would have used some other ploy. However, I am from their community so they won’t be able to use any other method.”
On Thursday, Kalia had a spat with Safai Karamchari Union’s president, Krishan Chadha, where the two allegedly exchanged blows. Kalia was in the middle of a meeting with health wing under MC and medical officers, when Chadha barged into the meeting with other sanitation workers and asked why they were not a part of the meeting. In the process, both entered into an argument and allegedly abused each other and exchanged blows.
In the letter, it was also been specified that the safai karamcharis had extended their supported to Kalia at the time he was to be elected as the Mayor. However, they alleged that now, Kalia was misbehaving with them and was not listening to their demands.