Clarify on 'apology', war room staffers tell Surya

BBMP war room staffers under suspension and another who walked out in solidarity, urged Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya to issue a clarification following contradictory reports about his apology for the remarks.

Surya visited the war room on Thursday and spoke to the staffers. “It was not our intention to leak the numbers of war room staffers. It has become viral on all social media. We can’t do anything but arrange new SIM cards for you. I understand your pain. I’m really sorry,” he is heard telling the staffers in the room.

On Twitter, the office of the MP denied that he made any apology. The office of the MP described a media report on Surya’s apology as ‘fake news’.

Read | The Tejasvi Surya effect: Trauma, harassment and suspension

DH tried to reach out to Surya, but his mobile remained switched off. However, in the audio clip, the MP refutes reports of communalisation of the tragedy. “People of all religions work here. Patients of all religions call here. My visit here has been described as a conspiracy against Muslims. I want you to know that I just read out from a list given to me. Only those names were on the list,” he said.

Sources in the war room said it was not clear how Surya got the list.

“It doesn’t fit an MP, supported by a huge team that has conducted week-long investigation, to read out a list of 17 staffers from one religion and questioning their appointment. If they had found evidence, they should have filed a case with the police instead of reading it out on live television,” the source said.

Two days after the allegations, officials in the war room held a meeting with anxious helpline staffers and assured them that they need not worry as they were not connected to the bed blocking system even as the police continued investigation.

Read | BSY defends Surya amid row over bed-blocking scam

Helpline operators

However, such an assurance was not been given to the 17 Muslim staffers suspended from the job just because Surya took their name though 16 of them were helpline operators who never worked on bed blocking.

A staffer, one of the 17 persons suspended after Surya read out his name, said he didn’t believe the reports on the apology.

“Let him not apologise. We would rather urge him to clarify openly that we are not involved in the scam and condemn those describing us as terrorists. We are ready to accept any mistake if the police find anything against us,” he said.

Also Read | Shashi Tharoor clarifies he wasn't 'mollycoddling' Tejasvi Surya

Open statement

Ayesha Shaikh, who was not on the list but walked out of the job in solidarity with others, said it would help everyone if the MP restored the jobs of all the 17 members by issuing an open statement.

“It would bring peace to not only to many of the staffers
but also our families,” she added.