Demonstrating Lucknow teachers baton charged

Lucknow, Dec 17 (ANI): Lucknow witnessed violent scenes when the police resorted to baton charge teachers staging a protest rally through the city's streets on Wednesday.

The protesting teachers were demanding official letters from the state government, ndorsing their appointment.

They refused to give up until Chief Minister Mayawati took up their demands.ccording to the rallying teachers, the issue of confirming thr appointment of Urdu teachers on a permanent basis has been long pending since 1993. None of the governments which were in power ever cared to settle it.

The demonstrating teachers recalled that they were promised that they would be treated as state employees but none of their pleas were ever given a hearing.

"We will not step back till our demand for permanent appointment letter as officially appointed teachers in all the government schools will be accepted. This issue has been prolonging since 1993 and till now no decision has been taken. In Goa and Uttarakhand the demands have been accepted but this government is useless," said Earamul Hassan, President, Uttar Pradesh Urdu Teachers Association.

As the street rally marched ahead, the police tried to stop them and the rallyists were forcefully stopped from approaching the State Legislature.

Later, the police personnel used batons to stop the marching teachers.

"We admit that little strength has been used over the protestors but they did not step back. They even started throwing stones at the police and at this we were left with no other option but to order baton charge," said O P Pathak, Additional District Magistrate, Lucknow. (ANI)