You’re not labourers, don’t need May Day off: CM to Tripura staff
Priyanka AGARTALA: Amidst a controversy over dropping International Workers Rights Day or May Day from the list of state government holidays, Tripura chief minister Biplab Deb has told government employees that they do not need a holiday on the day as they are not “labourers or workers”.
“Are you people in the secretariat labourers? Am I a labourer? No, I am the chief minister. You view official files. Are you working in the industrial sector? No, you don’t. Then why do you require holiday on that day? What do you want to mourn?” Deb said at a programme of the Gazetted Officers’ Sangh in Agartala on Sunday.
Last week, the BJP government in Tripura decided to designate May 1 as a restricted holiday.
Deb said May Day is only for workers and added that the BJP- IPFT government in the state has therefore decided only to give a holiday to those in the industrial sector.
Other state government employees may still opt for it, because it is a restricted holiday, but the government will make a note of those who do so. Deb warned.
The opposition CPI(M) has demanded that the government withdraw its decision.
“The day has been a holiday in the state since the first Left Front government came to power in 1978. We demand the government to withdraw its decision,” said CPM leader Haripada Das. NEWDELHI: Attorney General KK Venugopal criticised the Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, of dismissing petitions in a perfunctory manner without giving them proper hearing.
He said this while arguing a tax matter before the court.
“People come from far away, from thousands of miles away. They stand at the back and look at this court….as their counsel stands and you say, ‘dismissed!’….your Lordships have to hear completely!” he pleaded.
The Chief Justice seemed to agree and said the bench takes what the AG said “in the right spirit.”
Arguing the same case, Venugopal also said that it appeared as if the bench had not read the matter to which the CJI retorted that the bench had done its reading.
At which point the AG said that if this had been the case, the judges would have admitted the matter immediately.
Attorney General KK Venugopal requested the bench to keep the petition pending, a request they agreed to.