Education staff of Uttarakhand to boycott work due to ‘attack’ on principal 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 attack on director Ajay Kumar Naudiyal by supporters of BJP MLA Umesh Sharma ‘Kau’, demanding immediate arrest.

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

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

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

He said a decision has also been taken to request the Secretary of State to issue a special operating procedure for the safety of employees and deploy police in all departments.

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

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

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

Following the controversy, state unit chairman Mahendra Bhatt said the lawmaker was called late in the evening 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 apologized for the incident involving the education official and everyone should refrain from escalating the issue.

He clarified that the party is not in favor of any form of disruption, anarchy or indecent behavior whether done by public representatives, party officials, workers or anyone else.

Meanwhile, BJP MLA from Doiwala, Brijbhushan Gairola, criticized the incident stating that such practices are not the policy of the party and everyone should express their views on the right platform.

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