Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi meeting striking sanitation workers in New Delhi
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi sat on the ground surrounded by protesting sanitation workers in East Delhi, parts of which have turned into giant garbage dumps with an estimated 15,000 tonnes of waste rotting on roadsides in the sweltering summer heat.
About 12,000 sanitation workers or
safai karamcharis in the capital have been on a strike for ten days now, refusing to work without being paid their salary - they haven't been paid in two months.
You go to the Delhi Government, it says Centre is responsible. You go to the Centre, it says Delhi Government is responsible. These are all excuses and you will not get anything till you show your strength. And I want to make it clear that I will take your responsibility," said Mr Gandhi, adding, "Call me whenever you need. I can be here for 15 days if you want."
The workers' demand is caught in a political tug-of-war between the BJP, which controls the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, and the Delhi government of the Aam Aadmi Party. Both accuse the other of not releasing adequate funds to pay the workers.
As the capital heads towards a massive public health crisis, the Congress said Mr Gandhi is meeting the
safai karamcharis to express solidarity with them.
In the assembly elections held in February, the Congress was wiped out. They party holds not a single seat now in Delhi, which it ruled for 15 straight years till 2013.
Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party swept the elections with 67 seats, but complains that it is hamstrung by the fact that Delhi does not have full statehood and many functions are controlled by the Centre through the Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung.
While Mr Jung has been quick to step in on matters like key appointments in his continuing turf battle with the Delhi government, he has so far not brought up the stink in East Delhi.
Four days ago Mr Kejriwal had met the sanitation workers and announced that his government would release money for the pending salaries for now, but that the MCD under the Mayor of Delhi was responsible for futher payments.
The workers say nothing has moved since.
Mr Kejriwal has accused the three civic bodies in Delhi - Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), and Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB) - all BJP controlled, of corruption, alleging that the money to pay salaries to workers has "disappeared."