New Delhi: The violent protest in parts of Noida on Monday morning was part of a “well-planned conspiracy” aimed at disturbing the state’s development and law and order, UP minister Anil Rajbhar said.
He further that the incident may have been carried out with the intention of creating instability while noting the arrest of four terror suspects from Noida and Meerut, and whose links were connected to handlers in Pakistan.
“In such a situation, the possibility of a conspiracy to create instability in the state gains strength. Agencies are seriously investigating the entire matter,” Rajbhar was quoted as saying by a PTI report.
Violence an attempt to create unrest
He added that the violence by “anti-national forces” was an attempt to create unrest due to the growing popularity of Yogi Adityanath-led government.
He urged the workers not to fall for fake and misleading information and maintain peace. “Anarchy and violent protests are not the solution to any problem. The government is ready to listen to your concerns,” he said.
Senior officials of the UP government have been deployed in Noida to engage directly with the workers.
Violence in Noida
Violence broke out in the MSMEs clusters in Noida Phase 2 and Sector 62 on Monday as workers start protesting low wages.
Several vehicles, and properties were vandalised by the protesters. Heavy force was deployed to control the situation. The agitators also threw stones at policemen, after which the cops used tear gas to disperse them.
Traffic also came to a standstill on Noida borders with vehicles stuck into jams for hours. What made the situation worse was Monday being the first day of the week and the protest happening during the peak traffic hour.
While investigations are on, reports mention that primarily the trigger point of protest was recent wage hike in neigbouring Haryana. The workers demanded parity with their counterparts in the neighbouring state.