AAP, BJP out for photo-op now: Congress on garbage crisis

NEW DELHI:Congress today stepped up attack on BJP-led government at the Centre and AAP's Delhi government over the garbage crisis in the city as a number of sanitation workers called on Rahul Gandhi to thank him for his support.

A day after around 15,000 sanitation workers called off their 12-day strike over non-payment of salaries for months, Congress claimed it was after Rahul's meeting with the agitating workers that the matter was resolved.

"Rahulji had yesterday met the agitating safai karmacharis after which the Delhi government released some funds to pay their salaries leading to the end of their strike. When they were on strike, nobody from AAP and BJP went to meet them.

"Now when the strike has ended, those belonging to the party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and AAP have come out to the streets for a photo-op in the name of clearing the garbage. Neither the AAP nor those belonging Modiji's party spare any opportunity of photo-op," party spokesperson and AICC general secretary Shakeel Ahmed said.

A group of safai karmacharis of East Delhi municipal corporation are meeting the Congress vice president at his residence here to thank him for his support and to raise their issues with him.

Gandhi, who joined their stir yesterday amid mounting public anger over heaps of garbage in the city not being cleared, had launched a scathing attack on the Centre and Delhi Government for "failing to deliver" on their "tall promises" and accused them of passing the buck on each other.

Soon after, the sanitation workers called off their 12-day-long strike as Lt Governor Najeeb Jung announced to release Rs 493 crore for their salaries.

Congress claimed that it required a visit by Gandhi to move the Centre and Delhi government to resolve their problem.

The party claimed such a situation never happened when it was ruling the state and doled out figures of money released by Sheila Dikshit's government to MCDs.

The party, which has recently focussed on Dalit issues in a big way, is expected to keep raising the issues of 'Safai Karmacharis' in Delhi whom both the BJP and AAP had earlier wooed.