Fresh Labor Unrest in Noida Amid Ongoing Wage Dispute
Workers staged a new demonstration outside a private company near Sector 8 Jama Masjid in Noida on Friday, demanding an increase in their salaries. Police personnel swiftly arrived at the scene and were actively engaged in efforts to calm the agitated workers and restore order. This latest protest adds to a series of labor actions that have gripped the industrial areas of Noida in recent weeks.
Digital Misinformation Campaign Linked to Pakistan
In a significant development, Noida Police revealed on Thursday that two accounts on the social media platform X, allegedly operated from Pakistan, played a crucial role in exacerbating violence during the labor protest on April 13. The protest was primarily centered on demands for higher minimum wages. According to police officials, the accounts—Anushi Tiwari (Proud Indian) and Meer Ilyas Inc—circulated false and inflammatory claims about multiple fatalities during the demonstration, aiming to incite further unrest among the workers.
Subsequent information obtained from X indicated that both accounts were being operated from Pakistan using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to mask their true origins. In response to these findings, an First Information Report (FIR) has been formally registered at the Sector 20 police station, initiating a thorough investigation into the matter.
On-Ground Mobilization by Mazdoor Bigul Dasta
Police are also intensively probing the activities of a group identified as Mazdoor Bigul Dasta, whose members are accused of mobilizing workers and deliberately inciting unrest. Investigators have disclosed that three individuals—Rupeesh Roy, Manisha Chauhan, and Aditya Anand—created multiple WhatsApp groups using QR codes in the early hours of April 10, around 2 a.m. This timing coincided closely with Haryana's announcement of a substantial 35% hike in minimum wages, which likely fueled discontent among Noida workers seeking similar increases.
Each of these WhatsApp groups reportedly boasted over 800 members, including laborers from major industrial units such as Motherson and Richa Industries. Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh emphasized that the trio did not hail from Noida and had arrived in the city on March 31. They are alleged to have conducted meetings with workers across various industrial zones and were actively involved in organizing the April 10 protest, which demanded wage parity with their counterparts in Haryana.
Arrests and Ongoing Manhunt
Rupeesh Roy and Manisha Chauhan were apprehended by police on April 11, while Aditya Anand remains at large and is currently absconding. Anand, a BTech graduate from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Jamshedpur and a resident of Hazaribagh in Jharkhand, is also under suspicion for his involvement in mobilizing protests during the agitation against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), according to police statements.
Roy, who also originates from Hazaribagh and works as an auto driver, was allegedly implicated in the Manesar protest that preceded Haryana's decision to raise minimum wages. Police further revealed that the X accounts under investigation were created by Yogesh, an associate of Roy, highlighting the interconnected nature of the digital and physical mobilization efforts.
Legal Actions and Potential National Security Implications
To date, authorities have registered 13 FIRs in connection with the case, and 62 accused individuals have been remanded to judicial custody. Police have not ruled out the possibility of invoking the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against some of those involved, indicating the seriousness with which they are treating the disruptions.
Commissioner Singh characterized the violence as a coordinated attempt to undermine law and order through a sophisticated blend of digital misinformation and on-ground mobilization tactics. The investigation continues as police work to unravel the full extent of the network behind the protests and ensure stability in Noida's industrial landscape.
