Thiruvananthapuram | Union Minister Suresh Gopi on Sunday said that he will be going to Delhi on March 3 specifically to raise the grievances of ASHA workers, who have been protesting for over 20 days outside the Secretariat here, demanding a hike in their honorarium.

Gopi, who once again met with the Accredited Social Health Activist workers, reiterated that he would speak to Union Health Minister J P Nadda about their demands.

"If required, I will speak to the prime minister as well," he assured the ASHA workers, who continued their strike despite the heavy rains that lashed the state capital during the day.

Gopi, the Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Tourism, had also met with the protestors on Saturday and assured them that he would raise their grievances before PM Narendra Modi and Nadda.

On Sunday, he reportedly distributed umbrellas and raincoats to the protestors.

When informed that the police had removed the tarpaulin under which the protestors were taking shelter, he said that he would not question the administration’s actions. "But they cannot remove the raincoat they are wearing," he told reporters here.

Meanwhile, the ASHA workers told reporters that they were undeterred by the police action or the rain.

"We have worked for several hours under the hot sun and in the rain. We can brave the sun and rain while protesting," they said.