Delhi Police to question school principal, management commitment coordinator
Poster supporting Manish Sisodia
New Delhi, Mar 5: The Delhi Police will question the principal and the management commitment coordinator of a government school over a poster pasted at its main gate supporting former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia following his arrest, officials said on Sunday.
An FIR was registered against school management committee coordinator Gazala for allegedly pasting the poster supporting Sisodia.
Sisodia was arrested by the CBI in connection with the liquor policy scam case on Sunday last. He resigned from the Cabinet on Tuesday.
"As part of investigation, we will question both the school principal and its management committee coordinator. They will be questioned related to the incident and bound down in connection with the case," a senior police officer said.
The complaint sent by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) regarding alleged misuse of pictures of children by some leaders will also be probed alongside, he said.
The complaint to NCPCR was made by BJP MP Manoj Tiwari.
Reacting to the NCPCR action on Tiwari's complaint, AAP national spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said it was Manoj Tiwari who sang the song "Baby beer peeke naache" and if someone goes through the lyrics they will understand how disgraceful they are.
"How are children supposed to react to such kind of songs? Why didn't the panel take action against that? Before the Gujarat elections, the prime minister visited the state and clicked pictures in a fake classroom. Won't that impact the mindset of the children? Won't they understand that their prime minister has been building fake classrooms for photos.
"The NCPCR's job is to act on injustice against children. There are several instances across the country where children have been getting sexually exploited every day. These panels are being used politically these days. They should be turned into a neutral body for better utilisation of these institutions," the AAP leader told a press conference.
On Friday morning, SMC coordinator Gazala, in connivance with the principal of Sarvodaya Kanya Vidayalaya in Shastri Park, asked the girl students to arrange some desks at the school entrance and pasted a large poster of Sisodia at the main gate, according to the FIR.
The BJP on Thursday claimed that the Delhi government had set up "I love Manish Sisodia" desks in state-run schools to rally support for the arrested leader, a charge denied by the AAP dispensation.
A case was registered against Gazala under section 3 of the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Public Property Act, police said.
The principal is in-charge of the school and provided the desks, the FIR said.
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T'gana RTC strike: Talks between govt, employees successful
Hyderabad (PTI): Talks between employees of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (RTC) who were on strike and the state government concluded successfully on Friday as the government agreed to the key demands of the workmen.
Following a day-long marathon of talks between the leaders of the employees' Joint Action Committee (JAC) and the cabinet sub-committee, the government announced after midnight that it acceded to the demands, including a merger of RTC with the government, 11 per cent pay revision and elections to the employees' unions.
A committee comprising officials and employee leaders would be appointed over the merger of RTC with the government, it said.
The RTC management has also agreed to address the remaining issues as well, an official release said.
The employees would call off their strike and the RTC buses would hit the roads shortly, it said.
The employees had been on an indefinite strike since April 22 over a series of demands, including the merger of RTC with the government.
Earlier in the day, a driver of the RTC, who attempted suicide on April 23 during the strike, died at a hospital here in the early hours of Friday.
Shankar Goud, a 55-year-old driver, set himself ablaze by pouring petrol at Narsampet in Warangal district when the employees were staging a protest on Thursday in support of their demands.
Goud suffered serious burns, was initially admitted to a state-run hospital in Warangal, and later shifted to a super-speciality hospital in Hyderabad for advanced treatment.
"He succumbed (to injuries) at about 1.30 am on Friday," a senior official said.
The driver’s body was taken to his relative’s village, Muttojipet in Warangal district, for funeral rites.
Tension prevailed in Muttojipet as his family members and RTC employees attempted to take the body to the Narsampet bus station, where he worked, to enable his colleagues to pay their last respects. However, police did not permit this, citing law-and-order concerns.
This led to a deadlock before the funeral could proceed.
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar criticised the Telangana government for not allowing the body to be taken to the Narsampet bus station.
Kumar, Minister of State (Home), visited Muttojipet village in Warangal district, where the funeral was held, and paid homage to Goud.
“They (family members) want to take the body to the bus depot for five minutes. Is the RTC bus depot in Pakistan or Bangladesh? They are emotionally attached to taking the body there. The government is hurting sentiments and creating fear among RTC employees,” Kumar told reporters.
He also expressed anger at the police for not allowing the body to be taken to the bus station and staged a protest, according to a release from his office.
RTC employees and BJP workers attempted to take the mortal remains in an ambulance to Narsampet, but were stopped by the police.
Later, after discussions with the police, the family members and RTC employees agreed to conduct the funeral in the village.
Sanjay Kumar, stating he would abide by the family’s decision, left the village after the funeral was conducted there.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh, a house, and a government job would be provided to the kin of Goud.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the employee’s death and conveyed deep condolences to the grieving family, according to the release.
The RTC employees’ JAC had earlier announced an agitation programme from April 24 to 29, including silent marches and submission of memorandums to MLAs and other leaders.
