Electricity employees in Rajasthan protest for various demands

Employees of the electricity department Tuesday staged half-naked protest after talks over the issue a day earlier failed to yield positive outcomes on their demands of pay-related discrepancies and cashless mediclaim policy and other employee welfare schemes.

Miffed over the suspension of employees' union leaders Tuesday, agitated employees staged half-naked protests and threatened to go on hunger strike if their demands were not met.

Authorities did not call for the meeting Tuesday and released suspension orders of employees' union leaders after which protesters threatened to go on mass hunger strike, a spokesperson for Rajasthan Vidyut Sanyukt Karamchari Ekta Manch said.

Meanwhile, senior Congress Ashok Gehlot blamed Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje for neglecting issues of employees in various departments.

"The chief minister should address the plight of employees and resolve their issues instead of using public money in holding meetings with beneficiaries of government schemes," Gehlot said in a statement.