ASHA Worker Slaps Police Officer During Protest in Hyderabad
In Hyderabad, an ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) worker slapped a police officer on Monday during a protest demanding a salary hike. The protestors were calling on the Congress government to fulfill its promise to increase their monthly salary to ₹18,000.
The protest took place at the office of the Director of Medical and Health Services (DMHS) in Koti. Tensions rose when police intervened to stop the demonstration, leading to heated arguments between the ASHA workers and the police.
The situation escalated when police began forcibly removing the protestors and loading them into police vehicles. In a viral video, an ASHA worker can be seen screaming in pain after her leg got stuck in the door of a police van. In frustration and agony, she slapped Sultan Bazaar inspector Srinivas Chary, who was securing the vehicle’s door.
Following the slap, other police officers, including the Sultan Bazaar Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), restrained the ASHA worker. The video also showed a police officer pulling the ASHA worker’s saree during the scuffle, further highlighting the chaotic and tense nature of the situation.
Several ASHA workers were reportedly injured during the police action. One protestor lost consciousness while being detained and was taken to Osmania General Hospital for treatment. The workers claimed they were being mistreated despite having worked unpaid during the pulse polio survey and now being asked to conduct a leprosy survey after receiving training for it.
In response to the incident, a Hyderabad-based advocate, E Rama Rao, filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). The advocate accused ACP K Shanker and inspector Srinivas Chary of behaving in a rude and undignified manner with the women protestors. The complaint demanded a thorough investigation and appropriate action against the officers involved.
This incident has drawn attention to the grievances of ASHA workers and the alleged misconduct by the police during their protest.
