‘Modi-ji's friends not affected by prices, workers are’: Rahul Gandhi on Noida protest

RAhul indira nehru gandhi, Leader of oppositeness in the Lok Sabha, came come out in back up of manufacturing plant workers protesting in Noida, demanding a hike in their salaries, on Tuesday. The Congress MP said what happened in Noida on Monday was the “final cry” of the country’s workers.Protests erupted in Noida as workers demanded a hike in their salaries. Parts of the protest turned violent, with incidents of arson and vandalism, before the situation was brought under control by the UP police.Rahul, backing the workers' plea, took to X and wrote a long post in their support, also slamming the Modi government for ignoring their demands.“A worker in Noida earns a monthly salary of ₹12,000; rent costs ₹4,000–7,000. By the time he gets a ₹300 annual raise, the landlord hikes the rent by ₹500 a year,” Rahul wrote.Also Read | Haryana wage hike triggered unrest in Noida. But why were protests also held in Faridabad?He also said a common man is paying ₹5,000 for a gas cylinder today, due to supplu squeeze brought about by the US-Israel war on Iran. While acknowledging that rising fuel prices are partly due to the war in West Asia and its global impact, he alleged, “Modi ji’s friends remain unaffected.”“That worker, who is no part of any war, who didn’t craft any policy—he just worked quietly, without complaint. And what does he get for demanding his due? Pressure and oppression,” Rahul wrote. He also criticised the Modi government over the implementation of labour codes “without any consultation”, saying that they have extended working hours to 12 hours a day without any corresponding increase in wages.“Noida’s worker is demanding ₹20,000. This isn’t greed — it’s his right, the sole foundation of his life,” Rahul said, adding that he stands with every such worker who has been “reduced to a burden” by the government.UP government sees Naxal and Pakistani link to the protests before revising salariesThe UP government took note of the protest and announced a revision of the workers’ salary structure after the Monday incident. The revised rates were divided into three categories: Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida)–Ghaziabad, cities with municipal corporations, and other districts of the state. These interim rates will be effective from April 1.Meanwhile, the UP government also pointed to the possible role of ‘outsiders’ in the protests. State's 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. CM Yogi Adityanath went a step further, suggesting that the protests could be linked to attempts to revive Naxalism.Also Read | 'Pakistan link' in Noida workers' protest: UP minister's fresh shocker“Naxalism is at the point of elimination, but attempts to revive it could be part of a larger conspiracy. Some protests may have involved misleading and disruptive elements,” Yogi said after chairing a high-level review.“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, with links 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,” Rajbhar had said.While alleged Pakistani and Naxalite links are being probed, workers remain unconvinced about the government’s salary revision.Speaking to HT, a daily wage worker said that the government does not pay them, the factory owners do. Tularam, who works at a garment factory in Noida Phase 2, told HT, “I saw this (revised salaries) in the news too, but we have not received any official confirmation from the factory owners. The government is not paying us. We are paid by the factory owners, who are offering us pennies for our hard work.”