The federation has asked the associations in all states to compile details of harassment and exploitation of engineers by politicians.

“Incidents of atrocities on engineers by politicians are reported from every state. The Auraiya murder case is a glaring example. To check these incidents, it has become necessary for engineers’ associations to join hands and raise the issue at national level,” IEF chairman M Nagaraj said.

He added: “We have received reports of exploitation of engineers from 15 states. I have sought details of such cases. We will discuss such incidents in the meetings. We will also chalk out a strategy to launch an agitation on all-India level.”

President of UP Engineers Association (UPEA) A A Farooqui said, “After the Auraiya incident, engineers’ association from various states, including West Bengal, Bihar, Karnataka and Uttarakhand, have assured to support any agitation we launch on the issue. In Rajasthan, engineers boycotted work and staged a hunger-strike for a day.”

Farooqui said even after the Auraiya incident, cases of exploitation of engineers have been reported from Shravasti, Bahraich, Basti and Gonda.

Engineers’ associations have decided to launch an agitation in their states whenever any such incident takes place in future. In the Lucknow meeting, UPEA members will also pass a proposal to demand that the principal secretary of departments like PWD and irrigation should not be a bureaucrat and must have an engineering background.

BJP leaders court arrest
Beginning their “Jail Bharo campaign” against the alleged criminalisation of the state, several senior BJP leaders courted arrests in different districts across Uttar Pradesh.

While state party president Ramapati Ram Tripathi courted arrest with general secretary Swatantra Deo Singh in Auraiya, Kalraj Mishra and Santosh Gangwar lead the campaign in Bareilly. National party general secretary Vinay Katiyar will court arrest in Azamgarh on January 9.