During a meeting of the MCD on Monday, councilors of the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), rallied in support of their demand for mayoral elections and protested against the non-payment of the bonus due to the civic employees during the festive season.
Leading the protest, Leader of the Opposition in MCD Sardar Raja Iqbal Singh warned of continued protest by the party leaders and gherao of the Mayor’s office if their demands are not met soon.
He dubbed the AAP anti-Dalit as, he said, the delay in mayoral polls would deprive a Dalit councilor of his right to be elected to the post. Going by the MCD norms, a councilor from a Scheduled Caste community is appointed a Mayor every third year.
During the meeting, the BJP leaders also raised the issue of pollution alleging that meals costing Rs 12,000 per plate are being served to the councilors while the city is in the grip of severe sanitisation and pollution crisis. “Civic employees have not yet received their salaries or arrears, and Diwali bonus while the Mayor is spending Rs 18 lakh on hosting 150 councilors, AAP workers, and leaders,” Singh pointed out.