Previous Delhi govts treated sanitation staff like slaves: Modi

The PM cited a provision in the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, which allowed jailing sanitation workers for a month if they failed to report to work without prior intimation

New Delhi

PM Narendra Modi speaks at the inauguration of roadworks in Delhi. (HT Photo)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at the inauguration of key roadworks on Sunday, took aim at the opposition parties’ claims of working for social justice by citing a provision in the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, which allowed jailing sanitation workers for a month if they failed to report to work without prior intimation.

“Today I am going to tell you that truth. In Delhi, there was a dangerous law in the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act. There was a clause that if a safai mitra (sanitation worker) skipped work without informing beforehand, he or she could be jailed for a month. Think about it, what did they think of safai karmacharis? You will put them in jail for a small mistake? They now talk big about social justice. They made and kept such laws. It is Modi who is removing these laws and repealing them,” he said.

PM Modi alleged that “those who dance with the Constitution on their heads” had “trampled” the Constitution and “betrayed” the sentiments of BR Ambedkar, by retaining oppressive laws for decades until he repealed them.

The Prime Minister said that previous governments treated safai karamcharis like slaves. “I am telling you the truth of how those who dance with the Constitution on their heads trampled the Constitution and betrayed Babasaheb Ambedkar. You will be shocked. It is Modi who is tirelessly finding and abolishing such unjust laws and this campaign continues relentlessly,” the PM said.

An MCD official, on condition of anonymity, said that the DMC Act was passed in 1957 and many of its provisions have become archaic and outdated. “A process of decriminalising various provisions of the Act is being undertaken. Many old and archaic provisions are being removed.”

Last year, the MCD had asked all its departments to give suggestions on decriminalising the Act. The decision is being implemented in the direction of the Centre, aiming to reduce the sentence or imprisonment period for various violations.

According to the DMC Act, defaulters are expected to face imprisonment for violations in many cases, such as tax payment, obtaining licences from the public health department, illegal construction or encroachments, and violation of advertisement norms (including placing illegal advertisements). “Though there are barely any instances where we are using the imprisonment conditions, these sections no longer make sense,” the official said.

Reacting to the PM Modi’s inauguration event, Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav said, “BJP issued an order to fill the empty seats in the PM’s rally. The level of BJP has dropped so much that now they are taking advantage of the helplessness of government employees to hide its failure.”

Even as the AAP and Congress alleged that sanitation workers and teachers were ordered to attend the rally, MCD officially maintained that no official order was issued to workers in this regard.