‘Couldn’t give 10 minutes’: Poor protest turnout upsets Cong MLA

Sirsa Congress MLA Gokul Setia expressed frustration on Tuesday night through a live social media session, questioning area residents for not turning up for his protest over civic issues.

The remarks came after chaos erupted at a District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meeting chaired by MP Kumari Selja on Tuesday.

During the session, Setia said he was “disheartened” that people failed to join his demonstration despite his efforts to raise their problems with officials.

He said he was suffering from dengue fever on the protest day but still attended to “fight for the people”.

“I had fever and breathing troubles, but I still went. If you don’t like my work, you can decide accordingly,” he said. “I called you for your issues, not for votes or rallies. Yet people didn’t come even for 10 minutes.”

Setia criticised residents for “ignoring” public grievances such as the issue of garbage in the Sirsa vegetable market, JJ Colony, bus stand, and the club area.

“Four years are still left (in the current term), but people forget in four days,” he said, adding that he had hoped to make these years productive, “but maybe people don’t want that”.

During Tuesday’s DISHA meeting, Setia and his supporters were stopped by the police outside the venue. He climbed the main gate, staging a sit-in on the premises.

The situation escalated after he reportedly called a senior official “shameless”.

In his live session, Setia said his intent was to question officers about unresolved civic problems.

“They say I go live on Facebook, but if I don’t speak up, how will the government know Sirsa’s condition?” he said.

He accused local officials of ignoring public complaints and criticised residents for not standing up for their rights.

“You go to the municipal office, pay money for work, and later complain. I fought for your children and your area. You couldn’t give 10 minutes, that hurt,” he said.

Setia ended the session questioning the meaning of politics without public support.

“If you don’t like my work, bring someone new,” he said. “People come to cut cakes and take photos, but not for their rights. What’s the point of being an MLA then?”