Protesting unemployed teachers marching to CM’s residence cane-charged

Unemployed teachers demanding jobs were cane-charged by police when they were holding a protest march to Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s residence in Patiala on Wednesday

Unemployed teachers demanding jobs were cane-charged by police when they were holding a protest march to Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s residence in Patiala on Wednesday.

Police rsorting to lathicharge during a protest by unemployed teachers in Patiala on Wednesday.

Over 100 protesters were detained, with over a dozen receiving minor injuries.

Earlier, the protesters under the banner of the Unemployed TET-Passed ETT Teachers’ Union marched towards the CM’s residence in support of their demand for jobs. However, they were stopped by the police near YPS Chowk in the city.

Union’s state president Deepak Kumar said that the Punjab government promised to hold meetings with them but the officials failed to turn up on the scheduled day.

“The police are resorting to lathi-charge every time we try to hold a protest near the CM’s residence. We were holding a peaceful march when the police used force against us. The government has completely ignored our demand for jobs in government schools. Now, the government has scheduled a meeting with us on July 20,” he said.

The union is demanding a notification for recruitment for all 12,000 vacant posts of TET-ETT teachers and an increase in the upper age limit to 42.

Other teachers’ unions condemned the action against the protesting ETT teachers.