Parents say 'mental peace' disturbed as Delhi schools receive bomb threats
New Delhi (PTI): Several parents across Delhi chose to keep their children home on Friday after around 45 schools received bomb threats in the national capital via email for the fourth time this week.
While institutions operated with caution and authorities later confirmed all threats to be hoaxes, the ongoing pattern has raised concerns among families.
"I did not send my son today. It is not that we are panicking, but after repeated incidents, it feels safer to wait things out," said Parmita Sharma, a parent whose child studies at Richmond School, Paschim Vihar.
Echoing similar sentiments, Vikram Singh, whose daughter attends Sovereign School in Rohini, said, "Even if nothing serious is found, these hoax emails disturb the mental peace of children and parents. We discussed it in our parent group and many of us decided to skip school for a day," he said.
At the Sovereign Public School, where one of the threatening emails was received, the situation remained under control. The school resumed regular classes after a police inspection found nothing suspicious.
"We informed the authorities immediately upon receiving the email. The building was cleared after a full check, and we are conducting classes normally. We had already done emergency drills earlier this year, which helped us respond calmly," School Chairperson RK Jindal said.
While schools like Sovereign continued with classes after obtaining security clearance, others, such as Maxfort Junior School in Pitampura and Cambridge Foundation School in Rajouri Garden, experienced some evacuations and a cautious handling of students present on campus.
Delhi Police, along with bomb squads and fire services, inspected all affected schools, including institutions in Dwarka, Rohini, Vasant Vihar, Janakpuri, and East of Kailash.
More than 45 schools were allegedly targeted.
"All threats have been declared hoaxes after inspections," a senior police official confirmed, adding that investigations into the source of the emails are underway.
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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.
