Varanasi, April 14 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Minister for Labour and Employment Coordination, Anil Rajbhar, on Tuesday raised the possibility of a “larger conspiracy” behind the recent workers’ unrest in Noida, while asserting that the state government stands firmly with labourers and has already moved to address their concerns.
Speaking to reporters, the Minister said that the sudden escalation of protests raises questions, especially when workers had been peacefully contributing to the state’s development until recently.
“It appears that there may be some larger conspiracy behind it. Until yesterday, workers were peacefully contributing to the development of Uttar Pradesh. So how did this incident suddenly happen?” Rajbhar added.
He also linked the situation to recent security developments, pointing to the arrest of two alleged terrorists from Meerut and Noida and their reported connections with individuals based in Pakistan.
“These developments also point towards a possible larger conspiracy,” the Minister said.
Addressing the workers’ protest in Noida, Minister Rajbhar said that certain elements with no genuine concern for labour welfare were trying to exploit the situation.
“There are some people who have nothing to do with the interests of workers and take advantage in times of crisis. Many are trying to mislead and incite workers. Our agencies are closely monitoring such elements, and they will remain on our radar,” he added.
Reiterating the Uttar Pradesh government’s commitment, Minister Rajbhar said that the administration has taken concrete steps to address workers’ demands.
“A team of officials held dialogue with the workers, and based on that, Chief Minister (Yogi Adityanath) took a decision to increase wages by up to 21 per cent,” the Minister told.
He also noted that the Central government is in the process of finalising a national floor wage policy.
“The Union government is going to fix the floor wage soon, and we are awaiting that. Once it is finalised, we will proceed accordingly,” Minister Rajbhar said.
Appealing for calm, the Minister urged workers to resolve their issues through dialogue rather than protests.
“We respect the contribution of our worker brothers and sisters. If there is any pain or difficulty, they should come forward for discussions. Anarchy and unrest cannot be the solution,” he said.
Minister Rajbhar also hinted at a possible political angle, accusing the Samajwadi Party leaders of attempting to exploit the situation.
“They (Samajwadi Party) keep looking for such opportunities to mislead the public,” he said.
Meanwhile, security has been intensified across several areas of Noida and Greater Noida following the protests.
In Sector-121’s Garhi Chaukhandi area, protesting workers allegedly hurled stones at police personnel, prompting deployment of heavy police force to bring the situation under control.
–IANS
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