The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is rallying behind Bus Marshals, who had been rendered jobless by Delhi LG Vinai Kumar Saxena. In a powerful display of solidarity, AAP leaders, including Cabinet Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj and MLAs Kuldeep Kumar, Sanjeev Jha, Rohit Mehraulia, Praveen Kumar and Pawan Sharma joined Bus Marshals in protest against the BJP’s LG outside his office on Wednesday.
Speaking at the protest, the AAP leaders have urged Bus Marshals to teach the BJP a lesson in the upcoming Delhi elections, condemning the LG for “ruining families” by snatching jobs. With the elections just months away, AAP made it clear that the fight for reinstating Bus Marshals is part of a larger battle against BJP’s LG misgovernance.
Senior AAP leader and Delhi Cabinet Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said the bus marshals not to blindly follow anyone. “Even if I’m saying, you should evaluate yourself. Right now, you are being treated like a football. Sometimes you go to the AAP, and sometimes to the BJP. You are being tossed around like a football. The same thing was happening with guest teachers. I also made the guest teachers understand as well that they will keep being tossed around like this. In such a situation, it’s important to bring both parties face to face and have a conversation. Otherwise, everyone will just keep talking about their things.
The Delhi Minister further added that there’s no need for too much paperwork regarding what’s written in which file or where the file will go. If orders are given, the file will move on its own. But if there are no orders, the file will get stuck, and you’ll be left wondering where it is. Your file isn’t anywhere because until an order is issued, that file will just sit on some officer’s desk.
Saurabh Bharadwaj mentioned, “I had also told your people that there are two powers in Delhi. First, LG V.K Saxena appointed by the BJP-led central government, and second, the AAP government elected by Delhiites under Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The LG never fights elections so even if you lie down in front of him or do anything else, it won’t make any difference to him. Your protests or slogans will have no impact on him. It will impact the AAP and the BJP because both have to contest elections in 4 months, and they need your votes.”
“I had said this before the Lok Sabha elections as well, that now there is an election coming where 7 candidates from the BJP and 7 from the opposition are standing. I had said to take all 14 of these candidates to the LG and see if your work doesn’t get done. That was a big opportunity that you missed. But now you have another chance. If you don’t act wisely, this opportunity will slip away again because after the election, no one cares. Whatever happens, happens before the election,” asserted the Delhi Cabinet Minister.
Saurabh Bharadwaj said that these 10,000 people mean that many families. If they set their mind to it, they can form any government or bring any government down. You don’t need to fight with anyone. Use the power of non-violence and the power of your vote. In Delhi, the BJP has seven MPs and eight MLAs and the AAP has 60 MLAs. If you want, take three weeks or a month and fix a day. Hold a press conference and announce that you are requesting an appointment with the LG for a day when all AAP MLAs, Ministers, and all BJP MPs and MLAs will sit with you peacefully at the LG’s office.
“All of you come with us and give a letter to the LG to decide on this matter. Whatever needs to be done by the minister, we will get it done, and whatever needs to be done by the LG, we will ensure that as well. If, during the meeting, the LG says that the recruitment of bus marshals is not happening due to certain reasons and asks me to sign somewhere, I swear in front of you that I will sign right there. I will sign wherever the LG asks me to.
He further stated, “If any of our ministers need to sign for the reinstatement of these bus marshals, our ministers will sign and even write it by hand if needed. We have no problem with that, provided that the LG gives it in writing that they will proceed with the recruitment of bus marshals. This should all happen face to face. After that, the LG can order the department to reinstate you, and you will be reinstated. This is not a particularly long process.”
Saurabh Bharadwaj expressed that the Bus Marshals should also talk to the supporters of BJP. Bring those supporters who know the BJP leaders and tell them that we are forming two groups. Invite the BJP leaders and make videos of them saying on camera that they will come. Similarly, call the MLAs and ministers of AAP. “When these people are ready, I, being a minister, will also write a letter to LG on my behalf that our bus marshals have fixed a date for a meeting with you on this date, we are coming to meet you. Two-four bus marshals will also come inside and sit and talk. There is nothing troublesome in this. But take it forward peacefully and fix a date for the meeting,” he added.
Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “I had heard that BJP MP Ramvir Bidhuri was also going to come, so I came too. But if he didn’t come, it’s no big deal; we have no quarrel with him. We can arrange another meeting. But you all should hold a press conference and announce that on this date, you have invited leaders from the AAP and BJP, and you will go to the LG’s office. When you publicize it this much, all the leaders will have to come. You should say that whatever happens in the meeting, we will inform the media and make a video. When you create this kind of pressure, you will 100% get your jobs back because you haven’t been working illegally for years. You were getting your salaries, and everything was going smoothly.
“He said that it’s wrong to say that bus marshals are no longer needed after the installation of CCTV cameras and panic buttons. There are CCTV cameras at the LG’s residence as well, yet he has heavy security. CCTV and security are two different things. DTC buses still need marshals, and the government is ready for it. The government even goes to different states to show that we have marshals on our buses,” stated Saurabh Bharadwaj.
Meanwhile, AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar said, “For the past year, our Bus Marshal brothers and sisters have been unemployed. Their families are struggling to make ends meet due to the loss of their jobs. This issue is related to services, and services fall under the LG’s jurisdiction and the AAP has repeatedly appealed to the LG to reinstate all bus marshals. We have come to meet the LG regarding the issue of bus marshals. We want the BJP members to also come and discuss the issue to find a solution. We are ready to provide any assistance required from the Delhi government’s side. However, the bus marshals’ jobs must be reinstated.”
“The LG said that the Kejriwal government was responsible for providing them with jobs, but today they are wandering from door to door. Do not take their jobs away, I urge the LG. Any obstacles in their reinstatement should be removed today. CM Arvind Kejriwal provides employment, not takes it away. If the employment of bus marshals is being taken away under some ideology and someone else is being blamed for it, that is unfortunate,” added MLA Kuldeep Kumar.
MLA Sanjeev Jha said that the bus marshals have been on the roads for the last 10 months. They have faced all weathers, be it heat, rain or cold. Arvind Kejriwal’s government wants the bus marshals to be reinstated. The bus marshals did a very good job during the corona pandemic. That is why the Chief Minister of Delhi, Transport, Revenue, Home Minister and all others want the bus marshals to be reinstated. Many meetings have been held in this regard. But at the behest of the BJP, the LG is ignoring these meetings. Today the bus marshals said that they have talked to the BJP leaders, you should also come, we will sit face to face and talk.
MLA Rohit Kumar Mehraulia said that many senior officers posted in the Delhi government obey the orders of LG sahab. A ‘Tughlaqi’ decree was issued by LG Saab that 10,000 Bus Marshals should be dismissed from their jobs. These people had risked their lives to save the lives of Delhiites during the Corona period. They were providing security to our mothers and sisters in buses. Today there are many examples when Bus Marshals prevented many criminal incidents from happening.
“These 10,00 bus marshals also have their families of 5-7 members. After removing them from the job, the livelihood of 60-70 thousand people has come under threat. Their children’s education is in danger. Our demand from LG sahab is that whatever he wants to get written from us, he should get it written. We are ready to hold a meeting. Call BJP also. If there is any deficiency, then we are ready to get it fixed. We are with the bus marshals in every way. Our demand is that they should be reinstated on the job as soon as possible,” concluded the AAP MLA.
