“The workers of these companies had been facing exploitation for a long time. People raised their voices and staged protests, but neither the administration nor labour officials took any action,” Pandey told reporters at the DND Flyover, where heavy police deployment was in place to deter the delegation from meeting protestors.
Pandey alleged that despite attempts to draw the government’s attention, no steps were taken, leading to escalation of the situation. “Eventually, a lathi charge was carried out,” he said.
He claimed that several workers were missing following the unrest. “I have been told that fathers are searching for their sons, who cannot be found. Some people have reportedly been detained and false cases have been filed against them. I have come here to ascertain the truth,” he said.
The Samajwadi Party (SP) delegation, constituted by party chief Akhilesh Yadav, comprised Sudhir Bhati, Asha Gupta, Shahid Manzoor, Kamal Akhtar, Atul Pradhan, Pankaj Malik, Shashank Yadav, Fakir Chand Nagar, Rajkumar Bhati, Veer Singh Yadav and Sunil Chaudhary.
According to party sources, local SP leaders in Greater Noida were placed under house arrest ahead of the proposed visit.
Workers in parts of Gautam Buddh Nagar district have been protesting over wage-related demands and alleged labour rights violations.Meanwhile, a delegation of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) also reached the DND Flyover to meet workers but were stopped by the police.
Earlier this week, thousands of factory workers — demanding hike in wages and other benefits — announced a work strike across Noida, sparking a major protest, which later turned violent leading to arson, vandalism and stone pelting.
Police initially arrested over 300 people in connection with the violence, according to officials, and later claimed that two social media handles allegedly being operated from Pakistan were used to incite tension by spreading misinformation over the issue.
