'Rubble of crumbling economy’: Rahul Gandhi blames lack of jobs for UP bonded labour case

DAy after the police force uncovered a harrowing bonded labour racquet in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar territorial dominion, u.s. Congress leader Rahul indira nehru gandhi termed it as ‘utterly shocking' and an ‘assault on human dignity’, with Priyanka Gandhi also echoing the thoughts.“In addition to forcing them to work without wages, the workers were bitten by dogs, stabbed with spears, whipped, and fed animal fodder. This is an assault on human dignity—victims must receive justice along with rehabilitation, and the perpetrators the harshest possible punishment,” Rahul, leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, wrote in a post on X.Also read: Amid row over MEA passport statement, what constitutes proof of citizenship in India?The police said on Wednesday that 12 bonded labourers were freed from captivity in Muzzafarnagar after one of them on June 22 managed to flee by scaling the boundary wall of a disposable leaf bowl and paper plate manufacturing unit in Mandi village.Rahul Gandhi links case to MGNREGA and lack of jobsRahul raised questions on why and how the workers ended up in a trap for over 18 months where they suffered multiple injuries, including bruises, cuts, fractures and showed signs of prolonged physical abuse, HT reported earlier. Police said the workers were allegedly assaulted with iron rods, sticks and fan belts.Also read: 'Stood far away': Big claims made by Chetan Chaudhary's family in Pune trek murder caseRahul said the case is ‘no ordinary criminal incident’ but ‘the rubble of a crumbling economy.’“We must also ask why workers end up trapped in such dangerous situations due to dire compulsions. When jobs dry up, incomes stall, and safeguards like MGNREGA and labor laws meant for the most vulnerable sections are weakened, desperation only mounts. Those with no other options or protections become easy prey to such exploitation,” he wrote. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi said the racket is an assault on human dignity and the Indian Constitution. “Strict action must be taken in the matter, and the guilty must be given such punishment that it sets a precedent,” she said.Also read: 'On Mossad's Munir assassination plan, Pak said will wipe Israel off map': Journo's wild claim rejected“Instead of being paid wages, they were subjected to horrific torture. They were fed dry rotis and animal fodder. They were beaten with sharp weapons and whips. They were made to be bitten by dogs,” she wrote on X. Bonded labour case in UPThe police freed nearly 12 bonded labourers from a factory in UP Muzaffarnagar district where they were allegedly confined, tortured and forced to work for months under inhuman conditions. They were also not paid the promised monthly wages of ₹12,000, officials aware of the matter said.The case came to light after Vikram, a labourer from Rajasthan’s Jodhpur district, scaled the boundary wall of a disposable leaf bowl and paper plate manufacturing unit in Mandi village and reached Titawi police station on June 22. Minors were also among those freed from the factory. Factory owner Ankit Balyan, his father Pradeep Balyan and factory supervisor Shiva Tyagi have been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for human trafficking, bonded labour, murder, and relevant sections under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act has been registered.”Pradeep Balyan and Shiva Tyagi have been arrested, while factory owner Ankit Balyan is absconding, the police said.According to officials, the rescued workers came from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Nepal. Investigators suspect some of them had been held at the factory for nearly one-and-a-half years.