'Pakistan link' in Noida workers' protest: UP minister's fresh shocker

NOida was paralysed on mon amid monumental manufacturing plant workers' dissent demanding break wages. The demonstrations choked key arterial roads and disrupted daily life across the NCR during peak hours. As protests by thousands of factory workers turned violent, the Uttar Pradesh government flagged a possible conspiracy angle, with labour minister Anil Rajbhar saying “links to handlers in Pakistan” were also being probed in light of recent terror-related arrests in the region. The unrest triggered arson, vandalism and clashes with police, while authorities scrambled to restore order and contain the fallout.Here are 10 points on the Noida protest:Large-scale workers’ protests over wage demands brought vast stretches of Noida to a standstill on Monday, with the Uttar Pradesh government probing a possible Pakistan-linked conspiracy behind the violence even as normal life was severely disrupted.2. Uttar Pradesh labour minister Anil Rajbhar termed the unrest a “well-planned conspiracy”, citing recent arrests of suspected terrorists in Meerut and Noida allegedly linked to handlers in Pakistan. He alleged that anti-national forces, troubled by the growing popularity of the double engine government in the state, are conspiring in such ways. "The incident appears to have been carried out with the intention of disrupting the development and law and order of the state. In recent days, four suspected terrorists have been arrested from Meerut and Noida, whose links were connected to handlers based 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," he said.3. The protests, which had been ongoing for four days, escalated sharply during peak morning hours, crippling traffic across Noida and spilling over into Delhi, leaving thousands of commuters stranded.4. Key arterial routes including the DND Flyway, Delhi-Noida Link Road via Chilla border, and stretches of NH-9 and NH-24 witnessed massive gridlocks for nearly six hours, with vehicles crawling or stuck in long tailbacks. Industrial hubs such as Phase-2, Sector 60, Sector 62 and Sector 84 turned into flashpoints, with incidents of arson, stone-pelting and vandalism reported; vehicles were set ablaze and factory premises damaged. The worst affected were office-goers attempting to reach workplaces in Delhi, Noida and Gurugram, as well as passengers heading to railway stations and the Delhi airport. “I left home early thinking I would avoid the rush, but got stuck near Sector 44 for over an hour,” said Richa Verma, an IT professional commuting to a corporate office in Sector 135. “People were getting down from cars, checking Google Maps, trying to figure alternate routes but everything was jammed.” Ankit Sharma, a private sector employee who uses the DND route daily said, “It took me nearly two and a half hours to reach from Indirapuram to Okhla. Usually, it’s a 45-minute drive. There was no clarity on diversions.”5. Police said around 42,000 workers gathered at nearly 83 locations, though violence was limited to a few pockets; seven FIRs have been registered and several people detained. 6. Security forces used tear gas and carried out lathicharges in some areas to disperse crowds, while officials maintained that “minimum force” was used to restore law and order.7. Industry bodies flagged a deteriorating security situation, alleging attacks on factories, forced entry into premises, and damage to infrastructure, raising concerns over business continuity in the region.8. Workers, however, accused police of using force first and maintained their demand for higher wages, seeking a revision from ₹10,000– ₹15,000 per month to ₹18,000– ₹20,000 in line with neighbouring states. 9. By afternoon, authorities said the situation was largely under control with heavy police deployment, while the government formed a high-level committee and later announced a hike in minimum wages to address worker grievances.10. In Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad, unskilled workers will now get ₹13,690 per month, up from ₹11,313, while semi-skilled workers will receive ₹15,059 and skilled workers ₹16,868, according to an official statement. For other municipal corporation areas, the revised monthly wages have been fixed at ₹13,006 for unskilled workers, ₹14,306 for semi-skilled workers, and ₹16,025 for skilled workers. In the remaining districts, unskilled workers will get ₹12,356 per month, semi-skilled workers ₹13,591, and skilled workers ₹15,224.(With inputs from Asmita Seth, Maria Khan, Karn Pratap Singh and Rajeev Mullick)