Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 16

Thousands of workers of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) led by its chief, Mr Kanshi Ram, will start a 27-day-long dharna at Chandigarh to press the Punjab Government to implement the labour laws, including the Bonded Labour Act, the Child Labour Act, the Minimum Wages Act and the Prevention of Atrocities on Schedule Caste and Scheduled Tribe Act in the state.

Everyday, starting from June 4 and till June 30, 100 workers from each parliamentary constituency of Punjab would reach Chandigarh on cycle.

Mr Sham Singh Jaura, general secretary of the Punjab unit of the BSP, while talking to TNS said workers who would campaign for the rights of the downtrodden would also generate a wave in favour of the party for the coming assembly elections in the state.

He said a decision to this effect had been taken late last evening at a meeting held at Jalandhar and presided over by Mr Kanshi Ram. He said after this series of dharna, party activists would also stage dharnas in front of Parliament in July. He said dates for this agitation were yet to be fixed.

He pointed out that in this agitation people would be educated about the law of the land and their rights and duties under the same. The agitation would prepare the grassroots worker for the coming general assembly elections.

He said the party had decided to contest the assembly elections on its own steam.

He added that Mr Kanshi Ram had also been holding party rallies in every nook and corner of state. Two such rallies would be held at Mansa and Goniana on May 28.