A batch of sacked workers of Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar plant, who have been on a dharna since March 24, were allegedly arrested by the Haryana police on Saturday night from the protest site in Kaithal in the State, a day before they were to gherao State Industries Minister R. S. Surjewala, workers and human rights organisations in Gurgaon said in a statement.

“The Government declared Section 144 on Saturday night to prevent the gherao, after which the police clamped down on the workers. About 95 workers have been arrested and their families now fear that false cases may be slapped on them,” said Raghbir Hooda, an advocate, who has been handling the cases of some of the sacked Manesar workers.

The workers have been demanding the immediate release of all 147 jailed workers, withdrawal of false non-bailable arrest warrants against 66 workers as well as “fabricated” cases, reinstatement of 546 permanent and 1,800 contract workers and an independent enquiry into the incident of July 18, 2012 inside the factory premises.

Flays Decision

Meanwhile, in a letter addressed to the Haryana Governor, workers and human rights organisations said they were “disturbed” with the Haryana Government’s move to declare Section 144 and deploy heavy police force after the announcement of the gherao plan by workers.

“This is likely to result in violence as the workers and their supporters are travelling long distances to show their solidarity and unnecessary repression of their planned programme is not going to generate positive feelings,” they cautioned.

The organisations also claimed that the Haryana Government had excluded 93 Gram Sabhas from Government aid because the Sarpanchs (village heads) had expressed solidarity with the sacked Maruti workers.

“This impinges directly on the democratic rights of the villagers,” they said.

> aditi.n@thehindu.co.in

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