Govt suppressing protesting employees: Jai Ram Thakur

Leader of the Opposition in Himachal Pradesh Assembly and former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday lashed out at the Congress-led government for its stance against teachers protesting in the state.

He said the government is ignoring the rights of employees as well as the people.

Interacting with people at Seraj assembly constituency, Thakur said, "The state government, which claims to be employee-friendly, refuses to listen to their concerns. Issues that Congress leaders vociferously supported before elections are now being ignored. Instead of holding talks with the protesting teachers, the government has resorted to harsh punitive actions such as dismissals, suspensions and slapping criminal cases against those raising legitimate demands."

"The government tried to crush the protest, leading to growing resentment among teachers. The academic session has begun, but the government seems unconcerned about students' education," he said.

Thakur said more than 900 teachers are now facing false charges simply for voicing their concerns. "This is a blatant misuse of power and a dangerous attack on democracy. Governments in a democracy are meant to listen to people, not silence them," he said.