Sanitation worker fired after video shows him carrying portrait of Indian PM in trash cart

In the video, several people can be seen intercepting the sanitation worker as he carries the garbage cart along the road

A sanitation worker in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh had his contract terminated after officials found photographs of prime minister Narendra Modi and state chief minister Yogi Adityanath in his garbage cart.

The incident comes as the Modi government faces concerns of crushing dissent and crackdown on freedom and speech and expression.

On Saturday, a video on social media showed a sanitation worker, identified only by his first name Bobby, lugging his garbage cart in Mathura’s Generalganj area.

In the video, several people can be seen accosting Bobby as he pushes the garbage cart along the road.

One man can be seen taking a video and questioning him about why he is carrying the prime minister and chief minister’s photographs in his garbage cart.

Subsequently a few others can be seen gathering around the cart, and picking out the photographs from the cart before proceeding to capture photos and videos.

Later, Additional Municipal Commissioner, Mathura-Vrindavan Nagar Nigam, Satyendra Kumar Tiwari said that Bobby’s services had been terminated as he was found lax in his work, reported Press Trust of India. The termination sparked a social media outcry about Bobby being made a scapegoat in the entire matter.

The sanitation worker, however, said that he was only doing his job and it was not his fault that the photographs had been disposed of as garbage.

“Before initiating action, at least what actually happened, in reality, should be considered and it should have been ascertained whether I was at fault or not,” he said.

Officials said that a fact-finding committee has been formed to probe the matter.

The committee has been asked to submit its report in 48 hours. “A final decision on the issue will be taken after the fact-finding committee submits its report,” Mathura’s Municipal Commissioner Anunaya Jha was quoted as saying to The Indian Express.

Mr Jha added that Bobby was carrying the trash collected from a collection centre on Saturday.

He was intercepted by two men from the northern Rajasthan state.

The photographs were subsequently removed from the garbage cart and Bobby was allowed to leave the spot.

On his subsequent termination, another official said that Bobby’s contract was terminated because the two leaders could be clearly identified from their photos.

“The contract of sanitation worker Bobby was terminated because the PM and CM could be identified in photographs easily. We have considered Bobby’s representation on compassionate grounds and a decision will be taken in the coming days.”