CPM Delegation Stages Dharna at Noida District Magistrate's Residence Over Worker Arrests
A delegation from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), led by general secretary MA Baby, staged a dharna outside the residence of Noida District Magistrate Medha Roopam in Sector 27 on Friday. The protest was in response to the arrest of workers involved in a protest earlier in the week, with the CPM accusing the administration of undemocratic behavior for preventing them from meeting the detained individuals.
Allegations of Police Brutality and Missing Leaders
The delegation alleged that some of the arrested workers were brutally beaten by police and claimed that CITU Delhi state secretary PV Aniyan and president Virendra Gaur have been missing since they were picked up by police from outside the DM's office. The group, which included politburo member R Arun Kumar, Rajya Sabha MPs AA Rahim, John Brittas, and V Sivadasan, along with party leaders Anurag Saxena and Pushpendra Tyagi, sought to discuss the police action with DM Roopam.
Protest Details and Demands
MA Baby stated that the delegation was stopped at the Chilla border by police, leading them to sit on the pavement without disrupting traffic. "We wanted to meet the DM because of atrocities committed against workers in this area. Our comrades have been arrested and put in jail," he explained. After police assured them of a meeting, the group was escorted to a police camp but was kept waiting, with attempts to reach the DM's office through an MP resulting in redirections to the collectorate and camp office.
The delegation's key demands included:
- A probe into the alleged manhandling of women workers by male police personnel.
- The release of jailed workers.
- Acceptance of the workers' wage increase demands.
Baby later noted that some arrested individuals had been released, but affirmed that the sit-in would continue until all demands were addressed.
Administrative and Police Responses
A senior police official stated that a few people had gathered at the collectorate without permission during a period when prohibitory orders were in force. "To enquire about them, some were detained. However, immediately after their identity was verified, they were released," the official said. An anonymous administrative official added that the delegation had not taken a prior appointment and that the DM was on rounds when they arrived, later being at the collectorate office until 6pm without any visitors.
Other Political Parties Join the Fray
Delegations from the Samajwadi Party and Congress also arrived in Noida to demand justice for the workers. A 10-member SP delegation led by Leader of Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey was stopped on the DND Flyway while attempting to meet protesting workers at a factory. Pandey highlighted a lathicharge and demanded that the labour commissioner and inspector investigate the workers' grievances.
Congress state president Ajay Rai and party workers were placed under house arrest in Sector 52 after arriving in Noida. Rai claimed he had come for personal visits and not for protest, but demanded the release of arrested workers, compensation for lost wages, and action against officials who misbehaved with women workers.
Resolution of Earlier Worker Protest
Earlier in the day, a workers' protest in Sector 8 was defused after police and senior officials held a counselling session with the group. Authorities stated that the workers returned to their duties after resolving a communication gap between factory management and workers through dialogue.
