BHOPAL: Guest scholars, protesting at Shajehani Park for more than 70 days have now started approaching national leaders of the BJP and Congress to get their grievances redressed.
“We have been thrown out of our jobs and adding insult to injury we have not been paid our honorarium for past six months. It is fight for our survival,” said president of guest scholars association, Devraj Singh.
A delegation of protesting scholars has planned to visit New Delhi and meet AICC President Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. They will also be taking along the tonsured hair of Shaheen Khan, who had shaved her head in protest on Wednesday.
Several state BJP leaders including LoP Gopal Bhargava, former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and others have visited the protest site and gave a patient hearing to demonstrators. Now a delegation of scholars has planned to meet other central leaders from state like Narendra Singh Tomar and others.
“We have sought time from Rahul Gandhi and are waiting for answer from his office. Otherwise will plan a random visit and try to meet most of the leaders available in Delhi,” said convener Surjit Bhadauria.
Most of the guest scholars are broken, they cannot face their family members, several haven’t paid rent of their houses, electricity bills, fee of their school going children, said one of the protesters. We are very much under stress- as a result our colleague Sanjay Kumar committed suicide, he added.
Kumar’s wife Lalsa Devi and two children are sitting on protest along with other supporters. Stating that she has nowhere to go, Lalsa Devi said government should step in immediately and make arrangements for education of my children and sustenance for the family.
Leader of Opposition, Gopal Bhargava has also promised the protesting scholars to raise the issue in Assembly during budget session and not let the House run till their issue is solved.
