NOIDA,Uttar Pradesh - Labour Minister Anil Rajbhar on Monday declared the violent protests by factory workers in Noida as a well-planned conspiracy to disrupt state peace and development. Raising serious security concerns, the Minister indicated that authorities are investigating a potential Pakistan link, noting that four terror suspects with alleged ties to foreign handlers were recently apprehended in Noida and Meerut.
According to government officials, the wave of violence, which saw factory workers demanding wage hikes turn to arson and stone-pelting, appears to be an orchestrated move by anti-national forces. The unrest, which has now entered its fourth day, saw massive gatherings of 40,000 to 45,000 workers across 80 locations in the district.
The situation turned critical in sectors including Phase-2, Sector 60, Sector 62, and Sector 84, where vehicles were set ablaze and public property was heavily damaged. Police were forced to deploy heavy reinforcements and use tear gas to disperse violent crowds.
Gautam Buddh Nagar Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh confirmed that while the initial protests by labourers were peaceful, a group from outside the district arrived at the borders to incite tension. Police have so far arrested approximately 350 individuals and detained over 100 others for questioning, with ongoing efforts to identify further culprits through factory CCTV footage.
Minister Rajbhar stated that the administration is acting on the directives of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, with senior officials currently engaged in direct dialogue with the workers to address their grievances regarding pay parity and rising inflation.
He urged the workforce to remain calm and reject provocation, emphasizing that violence is not a solution. The government has registered seven cases across various police stations and maintains that the situation is now under control, with paramilitary forces continuing to patrol affected areas to restore normalcy.
