Hry: Cops use water cannons on protesting employees; Hooda slams action

Chandigarh, Feb 19 (IANS) The Haryana Police on Sunday used water cannons and teargas on thousands of protesting government employees demanding restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).

Coming out in support of employees, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda condemned using force against the protesting employees in Panchkula. He said the employees were protesting for legitimate demands.

"Cane-charge and use of teargas on a peaceful protest is highly condemnable. In a democracy, the government runs through dialogue, but Haryana's BJP-JJP alliance wants to run the government through sticks and bullets," he said.

The Leader of Opposition said the Congress supports the demand of the employees and promised to strongly raise the issue in the forthcoming Budget session of the Vidhan Sabha.

"If the present government does not accept the demands of the employees, a decision will be taken to implement OPS in the very first cabinet meeting after the formation of the Congress government in the state. The old-pension scheme has already been implemented in Congress-ruled Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh. Employees in Haryana will also get benefits on the same lines."

Talking to the media after the Congress Legislature Party meeting here, he said the MLAs discussed party strategy in the assembly in detail.

Congress MLAs have given more than two dozen calling attention and adjournment motions in the assembly session and dozens of other issues will also be raised during the Zero Hour.

He said the Congress would raise family identity card, cut in pension of senior citizens, cut in BPL card, illegal mining, NGT cases, unemployment, demand for OPS, privatization of education, etc.

When asked about the budget, Hooda said nothing can be expected from this government after seeing the record of the last eight years.

Ahead of the meeting, delegations of agitating employees for OPS, sportspersons, ration depot holders, private college employees, Sarva Karmachari Sangh and farmers met Hooda and handed over a memorandum regarding their demands.

Hooda asked the government to take cognizance of their demands.