Former Indian hockey captain Sandeep Singh, Olympic medallist Yogeshwar Dutt join BJP
New Delhi, Sep 26: Olympic medallist wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt and former Indian hockey captain Sandeep Singh joined the BJP on Thursday along with Akali Dal MLA Balkaur Singh.
Dutt, an Indian freestyle wrestler from Haryana who won the bronze medal in the 60 kg category at the 2012 Summer Olympics, said he has long been impressed with the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Modi had shown that "good things can be done in politics", added Dutt. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2013 and won a gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Echoing his view, Singh said he will now serve the country in politics after doing so as a sportsperson.
The former captain of the Indian national hockey team was seriously injured when he was accidentally shot in 2006 while on his way to join the national team which was due to leave for the World Cup in Africa two days later.
He was on the wheelchair for a year but regained his position in the team and played in the 2010 World Cup for India.
Singh currently holds a DSP rank in the Haryana Police. The Bollywood film "Soorma" was recently made on his life.
Delhi: Former Indian Hockey captain Sandeep Singh joins BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), in presence of Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Subhash Barala. pic.twitter.com/PAPOiwIO3j
— ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2019
Delhi: Olympic Medallist Yogeshwar Dutt joins BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), in presence of Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Subhash Barala. pic.twitter.com/9cWmO4Vxe5
— ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2019
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Cong slams Modi govt as 'anti-worker', calls for review of new Labour code
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Friday accused the Modi government of being "anti-worker" and demanded that the new labour code be reviewed, MGNREGA be revived as well as a national minimum wage of Rs 400 per day be established.
On International Labour Day, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge took a swipe at the government and said unemployment in India today is a direct consequence of the 'Hum Do, Hamare Do' policies.
"Driven by the 'Hum Do, Hamare Do' policy, the Modi government implemented an anti-worker Labour Code. As a result, unrest has erupted everywhere - be it in Noida, at the IOCL facility in Panipat, Adani's factory in Raikheda, NTPC Patratu, or the Samsung factory in Sriperumbudur," Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X.
Instead of ensuring job security, this Code promotes policies such as contract labour and 'Hire & Fire' practices, Kharge said and called for a review of the new Labour Code.
The Modi government has effectively dismantled MGNREGA by forcibly pushing legislation through Parliament, he alleged.
"Mr. Modi has shifted 40% of the wage burden onto the State governments. State governments are unable to bear this financial strain and will eventually be forced to stop providing work," he claimed.
The Modi government has compelled workers into a state of unemployment and pushed them towards 'gig work', Kharge said.
Currently, 69% of the workforce is working for wages below the statutory minimum wage, he said.
The Modi government has engineered a crisis of stagnant wages, Kharge alleged.
"When adjusted for inflation, the wages of the majority of India's workers have grown by less than 1% annually over the last decade (from 2014-15 to 2022-23)," he said.
The Modi government has created a massive unemployment crisis among the educated workforce, specifically, among graduates, Kharge claimed and added that jobs have been eliminated through the sale of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).
"The government has refused to fill approximately 30 lakh vacant government positions. Furthermore, the government's policy blunders have led to the decimation of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)," the Congress chief said.
The Congress reiterates its five demands for India's workers including revival of MGNREGA and its expansion to urban areas, Kharge said.
He said a national minimum wage of Rs 400 per day should be established, with MNREGA included within its scope.
Kharged demanded that a 'Right to Health' law must be enacted, providing Universal Health Coverage of up to Rs 25 lakh for laborers and workers.
"'Life Insurance and Accident Insurance' coverage must be provided for all unorganized workers. Preventing the contractualization of employment must be made a core priority of the government, and the new Labour Codes must be reviewed," Kharge asserted.
