Asha workers disrupt Garib Kalyan Mela, 15 detained

Vadodara: Nearly 15 health workers or the Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers were detained by the Gotri police on Saturday after they disrupted a Garib Kalyan Mela that was organised at Sir Sayajinagar Gruh at Akota.

The Asha workers who have launched a major stir since over a fortnight had already entered the town hall at Akota before the programme was scheduled to start.

When minister of state for sports Rajendra Trivedi started addressing the gathering, the Asha workers started sloganeering and disrupted the programme.

While the police, which was present at the spot detained the agitators, a couple of Asha workers rushed to Trivedi and submitted a memorandum demanding equal pay and equal rights.

The detained Asha workers were later let off by the police. “We have decided that till the time the state government agrees to our demands, we will not stop our agitation and disrupt all the election-related programmes organised by the BJP or the administration. If the programmes are held at taluka levels, we will reach there as well and disrupt the programmes to press for our fundamental rights,” said Chandrika Solanki, president of the women’s wing of the Contract and Fixed Salary Struggles Committee which has launched the agitation.