UP’s Shahjahanpur incident: ASHA workers’ panel meets Priyanka

The ASHA workers alleged that they were beaten up by police when they were going to Shahjahanpur on Tuesday

A delegation of accredited social health activist (ASHA) workers met Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at the latter’s Kaul House residence here to brief her about Tuesday’s incident of Shahjahanpur district where they were allegedly beaten up by the police. The ASHA workers were stopped on the way when they tried to march towards the venue of programme that chief minister Yogi Adityanath was scheduled to attend.

The ASHA workers alleged that they were beaten up by police when they were going to Shahjahanpur on Tuesday (HT Photo)

“Priyanka Gandhi Vadra assured that the Congress is committed for right honorarium and honour for the ASHA workers. She assured them that the Congress, if voted to power, will ensure honorarium of ₹10,000 per month to them,” said a press statement issued by Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee vice president Pankaj Srivastava here.

Some of the ASHA workers were injured in the incident. A video of the delegation’s meeting with Priyanka, released by the Congress, shows an ASHA worker briefing the Congress general secretary about how the policemen stopped them and began beating them. The delegation members said they distributed medicines and test reports to the people infected by Covid-19. Instead of acting against the police, the state government had registered cases against Asha workers, alleged the delegation members.