Four contractual drivers who had sought permanent employment with the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation but were instead told to work in a private company tried to immolate themselves in front of chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s residence on Monday afternoon.

The security personnel spotted them pouring petrol on themselves and prevented them from lighting the matchstick. Later, Mukesh Saini, one of the drivers, told reporters that they drove city buses in the districts.

“While we were waiting for confirmation of our jobs, the government told us that we would be transferred to a private firm that will provide drivers, assistant drivers and conductors to the UPSRTC. Despite our repeated pleas, the government rejected our demand to regularise us as government drivers,” said Saini, employed in Auraiya city.

The other three have been identified as Gyanendra Rawat from Unnao, Nitin Srivastava from Kanpur and Abhishek Gaur from Gonda.

Rawat said: “We gathered in Lucknow to attend a meeting of the drivers and later meet senior officers of the transport department. The meeting remained inconclusive. The officers told us that the chief minister had himself taken the decision and they would not be able to do anything. Finally, four of us decided to die in front of the CM’s bungalow.

“A large number of contract workers of the UPSRTC, including drivers and conductors, have been on dharna at the Dubagga Bus Depot in Lucknow for the past two weeks, but the government ignored our protest. Many of us were ready to immolate ourselves in front of the residence of the CM, but we four prevented the others from accompanying us and came here on our own.”

Vipin Singh, in-charge of Gautam Palli police station in Lucknow, said: “The contract workers of the transport department said their services were to be transferred to a private firm, SS Enterprises. We have taken them into custody and are conducting an inquiry over attempted suicide.”