UP Sanitation worker, sacked over Modi-Yogi photos in trash, reinstated
What's the story
The Mathura sanitation worker, who was fired after images of the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were discovered in his garbage cart, has been reinstated, according to civic body officials on Tuesday. Bobby, 40, was reinstated after he apologized for his behavior to the municipal commissioner on Monday, according to Karim Akhtar Qureshi, the Nagar Swasthya Adhikari.
Statement
Bobby is sole breadwinner of family: Qureshi
"Bobby had filed an appeal where he apologized for his actions and assured that he won't commit it again...said he will continue to work with sincerity and honesty. He also stated that he's the sole breadwinner of his family and based on this he was reinstated," stated Qureshi. The reinstatement letter was received by Bobby on Tuesday, and he will return to work soon.
Case
People seen accosting him, asking about the images
A video that went viral on social media showed him carrying images of the PM, CM, and other figures in his wheelbarrow in the Generalganj area. The video showed some people walking along with the worker, asking him about the portraits in the trash. He was heard saying that he found the portraits on the street and that he was just doing his job.
Twitter Post
Here's the video of the incident
A municipal contractual worker has been terminated by Mathura Municipal corporation for carrying discarded photographs of Adityanath and Narendra Modi in a garbage cart.
— Ravi Nair (@t_d_h_nair) July 17, 2022
The worker says he found the photos in a garbage dump. pic.twitter.com/xEUxCJYwRW
Official reason
Bobby was sacked for 'laxity' after the incident
Satyendra Kumar Tiwari, the Additional Municipal Commissioner, Mathura-Vrindavan Nagar Nigam, earlier stated that the contractual worker had been sacked for laxity in duty. In his defense, the worker said that he had only collected the garbage. "Before initiating action, what actually happened, in reality, should be considered and it should have been ascertained whether I was at fault or not," Bobby stated.
Background
Bobby has been a sanitation worker for over twenty years
Bobby reportedly received a show cause notice following his morning shift on Saturday and was requested to provide an explanation, which he did the same day. Bobby has been a sanitation worker for over two decades, working two shifts from 6 am to 10 am and 3 pm to 6 pm. Notably, critics have called out his suspension as "arbitrary," "unfortunate," "exploitative" and "anti-democratic."