Surjewala Calls Out Haryana Government’s ‘Arrogance’ Over Sanitation Workers’ Strike

On Sunday, Congress General Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala raised his voice in Kaithal, accusing the Nayab Singh Saini‑led Haryana government of “stubbornness and arrogance” toward sanitation workers who have been on strike for almost a month.

He pointed out that thousands of these workers – men and women who sweep our streets and clear our waste – have been demanding basic rights, better wages and safer working conditions. “A poor person thinks ten times before joining a protest because they lack the time, money and resources,” Surjewala said, “yet our sanitation‑worker brothers and sisters have been out there, protesting for nearly a month now.”

The MP lamented that, despite the growing piles of garbage choking several towns, neither the state cabinet nor Chief Minister Saini has bothered to sit down with the aggrieved employees. “Why does this government display such stubbornness and arrogance that neither the government nor the Chief Minister has the time to listen?” he asked, clearly frustrated.

The strike, now in its second month in parts of the state, has left many neighborhoods with uncollected waste, raising concerns over public health and municipal services. While the Haryana administration issued a notice on September 5 asking the workers to return to duty, the standoff continues, turning the issue into a political flashpoint between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress.

Surjewala’s remarks come as Congress leaders across the state rally behind the sanitation workers, pressing the government to meet their demands and end what they describe as an “undignified” standoff. The MP urged the chief minister to drop the “arrogance” and open a dialogue – because, as he put it, “the reality is buried under heaps of garbage.”