3 min readJaipurUpdated: Aug 12, 2026 05:24 PM IST
A protest by Rajasthan sanitation workers over long overdue appointments saw a high-profile supporter on Wednesday – a minister in the state government.
Sanjay Sharma, the Forest Minister in Rajasthan‘s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, arrived at the protest site at the Alwar Municipal Corporation and raised his voice in favour of the sanitation workers.
Soon after, Congress leaders also joined the protest, turning it into a tussle between the two parties.
During the sit-in, Sharma expressed his displeasure with Collector Artika Shukla and Municipal Corporation Commissioner Sohan Singh Naruka. Later, Congress leader Aryan Zubair Khan also reached the site and sat with Sharma, demanding the appointment of sanitation workers.
Dispute dates back to 2012
Minister Sharma said, “The dispute relates to a 2012 recruitment of sanitation workers, which later reached the Rajasthan High Court after around 329 sanitation workers, who were selected, were not given appointment letters. In 2019, the court directed the DLB (Directorate of Local Bodies) to form a committee and take a decision, but the committee did not act until 2023…”
He said, “After the government changed, the workers approached me, following which the DLB directed the Municipal Corporation in 2025 to appoint eligible candidates. The Alwar Municipal Commissioner initially indicated that appointment letters could be issued to 100 candidates; later, the number reduced to 82 and then 69. Still, no one has been given an appointment.”
Sharma said the sanitation workers’ union had agreed to the appointment of 69 candidates, with no objection from the Collector. However, after Naruka was transferred to Bharatpur, he allegedly backed away from the appointments.
Story continues below this ad
Sharma said the protest would continue until appointment letters were issued to the sanitation workers.
BJP, Congress workers clash
As Congress leader Khan joined the protest, tensions escalated as workers of both the BJP and the Congress clashed at the spot. The Congress members alleged that BJP workers pushed them and used abusive language.
Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Govind Singh Dotasra posted on social media, “Forest Minister Sanjay Sharma ji sitting on a dharna over the issue of appointing sanitation workers in Alwar, and levelling serious allegations against the District Collector and Municipal Commissioner, raises a major question mark on the administrative system of the BJP government. In the BJP government, the corrupt model and the bureaucracy have become so dominant that even ministers’ voices are not being heard. Legislators are not being given any heed, and court orders are not being followed either.”
He said, “The democracy we keep talking about repeatedly is in such a state that, despite court orders, sanitation workers have not been appointed for months.”
Story continues below this ad
Collector Shukla could not be contacted for comment despite repeated attempts.