Kejriwal extends support to Kapil Sibal's new platform 'Insaaf ke Sipahi'
New Delhi, Mar 5: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday appealed to people, including lawyers, to join Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal's newly launched platform 'Insaaf ke Sipahi' to fight injustice.
Sibal, an eminent lawyer and an independent Rajya Sabha member, announced on Saturday he was setting up a new platform called 'Insaaf ke Sipahi' to fight "injustice" prevailing in the country, and sought support of chief ministers and other leaders of opposition parties.
"This is a very important initiative of Kapil Sibal sahib. I appeal to everyone to join this and we will fight injustice together," Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi.
Later, speaking to reporters, the Delhi chief minister said Sibal is a well known lawyer who is very active when it comes to social and political issues.
With his initiative, Sibal wants to connect people belonging to various sections of the society, "especially the lawyers" across the country, he said.
"It's a very good initiative by Kapil Sibal," the Aam Aadmi Party national convener said.
"I appeal to the lawyers and people of the country to join this initiative, and make every possible effort to help aggrieved persons get justice, wherever there is injustice with anybody," he said.
Alleging that a government working against the citizens is at the helm, Sibal on Saturday had announced his new platform.
Sibal said he would hold a public meeting of the new platform at Jantar Mantar on March 11 and put forward a new vision of India there. He said it was an open invitation for everyone, including opposition leaders and common people, to join him at the event.
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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.
