Senior Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party leader, National President of the Central Valmiki Sabha, former Chairman of the Punjab Safai Karamchari Commission, and BJP's 2024 Fatehgarh Sahib Lok Sabha candidate Gejja Ram Valmiki strongly condemned the alleged police action against protesting Safai Karamcharis and sewer workers in Barnala, describing it as an assault on the dignity and self-respect of the Valmiki community.
Addressing a press conference along with Vineet Joshi, Amarjit Singh, Raman Mattu, Jarnail Singh and Akshay Mattu at Chandigarh, Gejja Ram Valmiki alleged that women sanitation workers were subjected to "inhuman treatment" during the police action.
He accused DSP Satbir Singh Bains and SHO Lakhwinder Singh of using excessive force, misbehaving with protesters, and humiliating women demonstrators. He demanded the immediate dismissal of both officers and a fair inquiry to ensure justice for the victims.
Valmiki said the Valmiki community had played a significant role in supporting the Aam Aadmi Party during previous elections but was now feeling betrayed. He alleged that instead of addressing the long-pending demand to regularise contractual Safai Karamcharis and sewer workers, the Bhagwant Mann government had responded with police batons.
He further questioned the silence of Dalit ministers and constitutional bodies over the incident, saying they had failed to stand with the sanitation workers in their hour of need. He informed that a memorandum has been submitted to the Punjab Governor seeking action against the officers responsible and demanding justice for the affected workers.
Warning of intensified protests if no action is taken, Gejja Ram Valmiki said the entire Valmiki community would stand united with Safai Karamcharis and launch a statewide agitation, including a protest outside the Chief Minister's residence, if the government continued to ignore their demands. He also demanded that the government fulfil its promise of regularising sanitation workers and ensure respect, security, and justice for every Safai Karamchari in Punjab.