Clash Erupts in Vijayawada as Employees Demand Promotions and Pay Hikes

Vijayawada, September 27 (Daily Kiran) : Employees from village and ward secretariats in Vijayawada staged a protest on Sunday, demanding long-overdue promotions and pay increases. The demonstration turned violent as clashes broke out between the protesters and police.

The rally, dubbed “Chalo Vijayawada,” saw a large gathering of employees, including many women, at Dharna Chowk. Tensions flared as the demonstrators chanted slogans, urging the Andhra Pradesh government to address their demands. In an attempt to disperse the crowd, police moved in to detain some protesters, leading to a violent confrontation.

As protesters resisted arrest, police resorted to using batons to control the situation. Both demonstrators and officers sustained injuries during the altercation. Protesters accused the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led coalition government of suppressing those who voice legitimate concerns.

During the unrest, Circle Inspector Ahmed Ali suffered a heart attack and collapsed. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but tragically passed away en route.

In response to the police action, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) condemned the baton charge against the protesting employees. MLC Lella Appi Reddy criticized the TDP government for failing to uphold its electoral promises and for using police force against demonstrators.

“The employees were fighting for their rightful demands,” Reddy stated. He claimed that several leaders were barred from reaching the protest site and that those who did faced police violence. At least 141 individuals were detained, and Reddy noted that the state government was unwilling to engage in dialogue with them.

Reddy highlighted that employees were simply seeking promotions and pay hikes—demands that he deemed fair. He reminded that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had promised to double employee salaries upon taking office but had not fulfilled that commitment.

He further criticized the government for promoting protests when politically convenient but cracking down on legitimate demonstrations. “Such actions are unacceptable in a democracy,” he asserted.

Former MLA TJR Sudhakar Babu, the state president of the YSRCP SC Cell, also condemned the police’s actions against the employees. He demanded the unconditional release of all detained workers and criticized the police for their heavy-handed tactics.

Sudhakar Babu emphasized that the demands for promotions and pending pay raises were justified. He accused the state government of harassing employees instead of resolving issues through dialogue, imposing excessive workloads, and denying them leave.

He claimed the government had undermined the secretariat system initiated by former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, which aimed to deliver 540 government services directly to citizens. He lamented that employees, who risked their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic, were now being treated with disdain.

Sudhakar Babu also criticized the decision to reorganize 15,004 secretariats into 7,715 groups, alleging that the government planned to lay off around 30,000 workers.

Tensions in Vijayawada continue to rise as employees seek justice for their demands.