Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj Arrested by Police Amid AAP Protest over Bus Marshals Revival
Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj and some other AAP leaders were detained by the police on Saturday, October 5 while protesting near the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) VK Saxena’s residence. The protest demands the reappointment of civil defence volunteers who, like these marshals, had served on Delhi’s public transportation system but were removed from their posts last year. Bharadwaj was detained twice over the same issue.
Background: Removal of Bus Marshals
The controversy over the bus marshals mushroomed in the aftermath of the Delhi government’s measure to step up security and safety features for women and others traveling on public buses. Civil defense volunteers were made bus marshals. They kept things in order and directed passengers around. The scheme reportedly was withdrawn last year following the recall of more than 10,000 marshals.
During the screening out of volunteers from their deployment by the Directorate of Civil Defence, that organisation expressed reservations over civil defence personnel being used for transportation purposes, averring that their function lies in disaster management. In this regard again, their future was shrouded with uncertainty and protest from AAP demanding reinstatement.
AAP Protest Over Reinstatement
Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj staged a protest outside L-G VK Saxena’s residence with a renewed push for the reinstatement of the marshals. Mr Bharadwaj, along with other party members, said that if the marshals had been here, they would have already helped them amid the huge populace. He further stated that the presence of marshals greatly contributes to the safety on Delhi’s buses.
This time round, Bharadwaj was arrested again. Along with him, this time several AAP leaders also landed up behind the bar because they were protesting against the bus marshals being removed from the job and pleading L-G to approve their reinstatement in the job.
“We will not stop until the marshals are reinstated. These marshals have worked day and night for bus safety, and now the system is betraying them. It is our responsibility to stand by them,” Bharadwaj said before being detained.
Political Tensions: AAP vs. BJP Over the Issue
A third contentious issue in the state during the past day has been the marshals on the buses. During the day, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, along with AAP and BJP legislators both, went to the L-G’s office to submit a formal request seeking approval for the reinstatement of the marshals. Atishi pointed out the role of marshals and said that BJP promised to do that but failed.
“The BJP demanded that a Cabinet proposal be passed in a meeting. We did that. We called an emergency Cabinet meeting, signed the resolution, and passed it in the Delhi Assembly to regularize the jobs of bus marshals,” she told reporters after her visit to L-G Saxena’s office.
However, Atishi sounded bitter over the inaction from the BJP. “They said they’ll take it to L-G but, during the meeting, they didn’t fight for it,” she claimed. “We have given the copy to the BJP as well, but they have been exposed. First, the BJP was not prepared to go to the L-G House, and when they went there, they have not said anything to the L-G for passing the proposal,” she said by holding the BJP responsible for the stalemate.
BJP Has Backstabbed the Marshals: Saurabh Bharadwaj’s Allegations
Saurabh Bharadwaj, the face of this protest, was candid in his views on the matter. He said that the BJP was betraying the bus marshals and had gone back on the commitments it had made earlier. Bharadwaj claims BJP leader Vijender Gupta had assured AAP that once the Delhi government passed a resolution, it would get the Delhi L-G’s office to help regularize the bus marshals.
“Gupta had assured us that once the resolution was passed by the Cabinet, the marshals would be regularized through the LG,” Bharadwaj declared, adding, “Today, BJP has betrayed 10,000 bus marshals and let down the people of Delhi.”
Bharadwaj, on the other hand, attacked the lieutenant governor and BJP leaders severely for failing in their promises. According to him, that inaction harms public safety as well as the marshals because the marshals have enormously played a part in ensuring security aboard public buses.
Public Safety and Civil Defence: The Crux of the Issue
Majorly at the center of dispute is the interpretation of the roles of civil defense volunteers. Delhi government interprets that it needs bus marshals in the quest towards ensuring public safety. However, the Directorate of Civil Defence has expressed concerns that these volunteers were being used for tasks outside their training at disaster management. This conflict of the interpretation has led to continuing protests.
While the AAP advances a powerful argument that the efforts of bus marshals in providing safety, more particularly to female citizens, cannot be forgotten and their posts have to be revived, the office of the L-G and the BJP do not want to overstep the role of civil defense volunteers as a front-line disaster management force.
Conclusion: What Lies Ahead for Bus Marshals
This has further intensified in the current protests, making it very clear that the bus marshals issue is not so straightforward. For now, 10,000 civil defense volunteers remain uncertain about their future as AAP continues its campaign for reinstatement.
The battle between AAP and BJP over the fate of the marshals is intensifying day by day, and it now remains to be seen whether the proposal being placed by the Delhi government will ultimately be cleared by the Lieutenant Governor. Both are caught in a pincer, and public safety hangs in the balance.
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