Outrage over alleged highhanded attitude of police towards ASHA workers

Hyderabad: A complaint was lodged with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) over the alleged mistreatment of members of Hyderabad police against Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers during a protest at Koti on Monday.

A city-based advocate E Rama Rao filed a complaint with the NHRC stating that K Shankar, ACP Sultan Bazaar, and Srinivas Chary, Circle Inspector, behaved towards the female protesters in a rude manner while trying to foil the protest.

A large number of ASHA workers had staged a protest near the office of the Director of Medical and Health Services (DMHS), Koti, demanding a hike in the salary up to Rs 18,000 as promised by the Congress party during the Telangana Assembly elections last year.

A scuffle broke out when the Sultan Bazar police tried to thwart the protest. As the workers were refusing to end their protest, the police personnel forcibly lifted the protesters and bundled them into the police vehicles.

One of the protesters slapped CI Srinivas Chary as she hurt her foot while she was being pushed into the waiting van. Another protester fell unconscious while the police attempted to disperse them. She was immediately shifted to Osmania General Hospital (OGH).

Meanwhile, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has condemned the alleged ill-treatment of ASHA workers at the protest site. BRS working president KT Rama Rao tweeted, “What sin have they committed that you are dragging them on the roads.” He also asked the Congress government if ASHA workers do not look like mothers to them?