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Location: Gurdaspur, Punjab
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Incident: Alleged workplace bullying, harassment, and public insult of a BLO (Booth Level Officer) teacher.
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Core Demand: Immediate removal and disciplinary action against the election in-charge involved, alongside relief from excessive administrative pressure.
The Incident
Gurdaspur primary teacher Onkar Singh, who has been serving diligently as a BLO for the past three months, has levelled serious allegations of bullying and misbehaviour against local election administration officials.
According to Singh, he has been working up to 18 hours a day with complete dedication to fulfil his electoral duties. Despite the official deadline set by the Election Commission, the district administration has allegedly subjected BLOs to intense, round-the-clock pressure to accelerate completion timelines.
Singh stated that out of 48 assigned forms, 10 were returned to him under the premise of containing errors. To ensure no local voter faced inconvenience, he took the forms home, corrected them diligently, and returned to the office within half an hour.
Upon his return, Deepak Kumar, a teacher posted as the election in-charge, allegedly subjected Singh to insulting and aggressive behaviour. According to the allegations, Kumar snatched the forms from Singh’s hands, threw them away, and ordered him to leave the room.
Allegations of Chronic Harassment
Teacher Onkar Singh further highlighted that Deepak Kumar has been stationed in the election office for the past 8 to 10 years, accusing him of routinely engaging in the mental harassment of visiting teachers and staff members.
Protests and Ultimatum
In the wake of the incident, various local teaching and employee organizations rallied in protest outside the SDM office.
The unions have issued strong demands to the administration:
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Immediate Removal: Deepak Kumar must be immediately relieved from his posting at the election office and sent back to his parent school, as organizations claim he has no legitimate long-term attachment to the office role.
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Strict Disciplinary Action: Accountability measures must be enforced against officials who display insulting and abusive behaviour toward teachers and BLOs performing electoral duties.
The protesting organizations have warned that if authorities fail to remove individuals with a history of administrative high-handedness, the agitation and struggle will be significantly intensified across the district.
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