Disappointed and angry at the Delhi government's turning a deaf ear to their demands, DTC workers organized a 'Pol Khol' campaign to expose the Delhi Chief Minister's false promises. The campaign was led by the DTC Workers Unity Centre affiliated to AICCTU. The campaign lasted 4 days and proceeded through Patiala, Sunam, Ferozepur, Husainiwala, Amritsar and other places to conclude in a press conference at Mohali on 16 February. The campaign made the common people of Punjab aware of the Delhi CM's broken promises and betrayal of workers.
During the campaign workers affiliated to DTC WUC went to different areas in Punjab and held dialogues with the people. Arvind Kejriwal, while setting himself up as the alternative to the anti-worker Modi government, is as full of the arrogance of power as the Central government. He has forgotten all the electoral promises he made to workers. He is accelerating the privatization of DTC which has affected several depots and workshops. If the Chief Minister of Delhi does not bother about the workers of Delhi and breaks his promises to them, obviously the people of Punjab will also get the same betrayal from him.
On the same day, 16 February, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Singh Mann also held a press conference and made several statements. In a parallel press conference, DTC WUC General Secretary Rajesh Kumar said that today is Sant Ravidas Jayanti. Ravidas used to say, 'I want a Raj (rule) where everyone gets food, big and small all live equally, this will make Ravidas happy'. But if discrimination continues between contract workers and regular workers, how can there be equality? The Delhi CM must fulfill his election promise and regularize all contract workers.
The Union Secretary and DTC contract worker of 20 years' standing Naresh Kumar said, as we leave Punjab and return to Delhi we have just one request to the Delhi government--put aside your arrogance and listen to what the workers are saying. The workers in Delhi's factories are not getting minimum wages, PF or bonus; nor are ASHA and Anganwadi workers being heeded despite consistent protests by them; workers are dying in daily accidents but the Delhi government does not even want to talk to labour unions. If the Delhi government continues to tread the same path as the Central government, it will surely and completely alienate itself from the people.
