Tribune News Service
Amritsar, January 2
Senior BJP leader and Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi visited Government Medical College here on Sunday to meet auxiliary nurse and midwife (ANM) Amandeep Kaur, who was injured by a vehicle in the cavalcade of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Also read: Protesting nurse ‘hit’ by Navjot Singh Sidhu’s convoy, injured
Kaur had sustained injuries after she was allegedly dragged by the vehicle in which the PPCC president was sitting. Lekhi demanded that the injured health employee be given justice and a police case be registered.
The ANMs had earlier alleged that the security deployed with Sidhu had manhandled and misbehaved with them.
The BJP leader said the Union Government had doubled its share of allowances for ANMs in 2018. She said though Haryana had immediately provided relief to the health employees, the Punjab Government had still not done the same. She lauded the role of ANMs and other health employees in successfully tackling two Covid waves and running the vaccination drive.
Aam Aadmi Party district president Jivanjot Kaur also visited the GMC and met the injured nurse. She said insensitivity and indifference of the Congress government, especially PPCC chief, has been unveiled, as he did not intervene to stop his security personnel. She demanded that a case of attempt to murder be registered against Sidhu.
Meanwhile, ANMs intensified their protest after the incident. The employees smeared the posters of Sidhu and Chief Minister Charanjit Singh outside Sidhu’s residence. The employees also hit the pictures with shoes to express their anguish.
Sukhbir Kaur, vice-president, Contractual Multipurpose Health Workers’ (female) Union, said: “For the last 16 years, many of us are working at meagre salaries and in poor working conditions. When we finally stand up to demand our right, we are mowed under vehicles, berated and demeaned.” She said the employees merely wanted to talk to the Congress leader, but his arrogance was palpable with the way he asked his security to treat the poor employees.
FIR sought against Navjot Singh Sidhu for injuring nurse
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