Uttarakhand Education Department employees will remain absent from work on Monday (February 23, 2026) and Tuesday (February 24, 2026) following the alleged assault of Principal Ajay Kumar Naudiyal by supporters of BJP MLA Umesh Sharma ‘Kau’ and demanding his 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, Joint Staff Council, Uttarakhand Pharmacists Association, Collectors Union, Union of Diploma Engineers and other employee organizations.
The meeting also decided that if the accused were not arrested within two days, all the offices in the state, from Nagar Panchayat to State Secretariat, would boycott work from 25th.
State Teachers Union President Ram Singh Chauhan said after the meeting 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 a decision has also been taken to request the state chief secretary to issue a special operating procedure for the security of staff and to deploy police in all departments.
On Saturday (February 21), supporters of Mr Sharma, MLA from Dehradun’s Raipur constituency, allegedly vandalized Mr Naudiyal’s office and assaulted him in his presence over the renaming of the school, injuring him.
Subsequently, on the basis of Mr. Naudiyal’s complaint, a case was registered against the MLA and his supporters at the Raipur police station. The MLA’s supporters have also filed a case against unknown persons.
In this regard, Dehradun Superintendent of Police Pramod Singh Dobal said that the cases filed by both parties are being investigated.
Following the controversy, state unit president Mahendra Bhatt said the lawmaker was summoned late at night to present his side of the story and express regret over the incident.
Mr. Bhatt said the MLA along with his supporters had publicly apologized for the incident involving the education officer and everyone should refrain from escalating the issue.
He clarified that the party is not in favor of any kind of disruption, anarchy or indecent behavior whether by public representatives, party functionaries, workers or anyone else.
Meanwhile, BJP MLA from Doiwala, Brijbhushan Gairola, criticized the incident and said 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.
Published – 23 Feb 2026 05:20 IST
