Stepping in, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has invited for talks the agitating teachers who had threatened to immolate themselves on Thursday.
Protests by Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) teachers, who are employed on ad-hoc basis and are demanding government jobs, have intensified after their woman colleague was slapped by a ruling party leader in Muktsar district on Sunday when she tried to raise the issue.
Muktsar SSP Inder Mohan Singh met a group of 11 EGS teachers, who had threatened to commit self-immolation at Gidderbaha in the district today.
"The SSP of Muktsar apprised us that Badal had agreed to a meeting on December 11 at Chandigarh to resolve our issues," EGS teachers association President Pritpal Singh said.
He, however, said that if their demands were not fulfilled by the state government, they would intensify their struggle from December 11. "We will wait till the outcome of our meeting with Badal," he said.
Meanwhile, EGS teachers continued their protest at Kacheri chowk on Malout-Bathinda road in Gidderbaha of Muktsar district.
Police had on Wednesday lathicharged protesting teachers when they tried to gherao Badal during a function at Muktsar.
The teachers wanted to meet Badal during his visit but were stopped by police following which a scuffle broke out and police used batons to disperse the protesters.
Singh said their demand was that the police should take appropriate action against the sarpanch involved in slapping the teacher in public.
"The sarpanch should be sent to jail without further delay," he said. Police had arrested the sarpanch but he was released on bail within hours.
The panchayat of the village had moved an application to police seeking action against the teacher for using caste specific remarks against the member of the panchayat.