Uttarakhand education staff to boycott work over ‘assault’ of director by BJP MLA supporters

Employees of the Uttarakhand education department will abstain from work on Monday (February 23, 2026) and Tuesday (February 24, 2026) following the alleged assault of director Ajay Kumar Naudiyal by supporters of BJP MLA Umesh Sharma ‘Kau’, demanding immediate arrest.

The decision to boycott work was taken at a meeting held here between officials of various teachers’ unions, the Federation of Ministerial Services Association, the Employees Joint Council, the Uttarakhand Pharmacists Association, the Collectorate Union, the Diploma Engineers Union, and other employee organisations.

The meeting also decided that if the accused are not arrested within two days, all offices in the State, from the Nagar Panchayat to the State Secretariat, will boycott work starting February 25.

After the meeting, the president of the State Teachers’ Union, Ram Singh Chauhan, said that the meeting unanimously decided that all officers and employees of the education department would observe a complete strike on Monday and Tuesday.

He said that a decision was also taken to request the State’s Chief Secretary to issue a special operating procedure for the safety of employees and to deploy police in all departments.

On Saturday (February 21), supporters of Mr. Sharma, MLA from Dehradun’s Raipur constituency, allegedly vandalised Mr. Naudiyal’s office and assaulted him in his presence over the renaming of a school, injuring him.

Subsequently, based on Mr. Naudiyal’s complaint, a case was registered against the MLA and his supporters at the Raipur police station. The MLA’s supporters also filed a case against unknown individuals.

In this regard, Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Pramod Singh Dobal said that the cases filed by both sides are being investigated.

Following the controversy, the State unit president, Mahendra Bhatt, said that the legislator was summoned late at night, where he presented his side of the story and expressed regret over the incident.

Mr. Bhatt stated that the MLA, along with his supporters, has publicly apologised for the incident involving the education officer, and everyone should refrain from escalating the issue.

He clarified that the party is not in favour of any kind of disturbance, anarchy, or indecent behaviour, whether by public representatives, party officials, workers, or anyone else.

Meanwhile, BJP MLA from Doiwala, Brijbhushan Gairola, criticised the incident, stating that such practices are not the party’s policy and that everyone should express their views on the appropriate platform.

He stated that this hooliganism will not be tolerated and the law will take its course.