Enraged over manhandling during protest, ASHA worker slaps cop

Hyderabad: An ASHA worker slapped a police officer on Monday during the protest for a hike in salary. The incident occurred when Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers were holding a protest demanding that the Congress government fulfil its promise to hike their salary to Rs 18,000.

The ASHA workers were staging a protest at the office of the Director of Medical and Health Services (DMHS) in Koti. The situation turned tense when police intervened to stop the protest, leading to a heated argument between the two groups.

Amid a tense situation, the police personnel forcibly lifted the protestors and carried them to police vehicles. In a video that went viral, it was witnessed that in a melee, an angry ASHA worker, who was forced into a police van, screamed after her leg got stuck in the vehicle’s door. Writhing in pain, the ASHA worker slapped Sultan Bazaar inspector Srinivas Chary, who was at the time securing its door.

On witnessing the incident, some police officers, including the Sultan Bazaar Assistant Commissioner of Police, overpowered the woman. In the video, amid the altercation, a police officer is also seen pulling the ASHA worker’s saree as she writhed in pain.

Moreover, several ASHA workers were injured due to manhandling during the protest. One of the protestors fell unconscious when police were arresting her. She was shifted to Osmania General Hospital.

The ASHA workers claimed that despite not being paid for their work during the pulse polio survey, they are now being asked to conduct a leprosy survey and have already received training.

Meanwhile, a city-based advocate filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) against the alleged inhumane behaviour of two police officers during the ASHA workers protest at Koti.

The petitioner, E Rama Rao, in his complaint, stated that ACP Sultan Bazaar, K Shanker, and circle inspector, Srinivas Chary, had behaved rudely and in an undignified manner with the women ASHA workers. The advocate demanded action and a probe into the incident.