Uttar Pradesh Labour Minister Anil Rajbhar on Monday termed the violence during workers' protests in Noida a "well-planned conspiracy" and said a possible Pakistan link was also being probed in the wake of recent terror-related arrests in the region.
"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," Rajbhar said in a statement Monday night.
His remarks came after protests by factory workers demanding a wage hike turned violent in several parts of Noida, including Phase-2, Sector 60, Sector 62 and Sector 84, with incidents of arson, vandalism and stone-pelting reported.
Vehicles were set ablaze, and property was damaged, while traffic was severely disrupted across key routes.
The minister said the unrest could also have been aimed at disrupting Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's programme in Muzaffarnagar earlier in the day, alleging that "anti-national forces" were attempting to create instability in the state.
He appealed to workers to maintain peace and not fall prey to provocation or misinformation. -- PTI
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