‘Pakistan link’ in Noida workers’ protest: New shock for UP minister

Noida was paralyzed on Monday amid a massive protest by factory workers demanding better wages. The demonstrations have choked major roads and disrupted daily life across the National Capital Region during peak hours. As protests by thousands of factory workers turned violent, the Uttar Pradesh government pointed to a possible conspiracy angle, with Labor Minister Anil Rajbhar saying that “links with handlers in Pakistan” were also being investigated in light of recent terrorism-related arrests in the region. The unrest sparked acts of burning, vandalism, and clashes with the police, while the authorities rushed to restore order and contain the repercussions.

3. The protests, which have continued for four days, escalated sharply during the morning rush hours, paralyzing traffic across Noida and spilling over into Delhi, leaving thousands of commuters stranded.

4. Major arterial roads, including the DND Flyway, the Delhi-Noida Link route across the Chilla border, and the NH-9 and NH-24 stretches, witnessed massive traffic jams for about six hours, with vehicles crawling or stuck at the back. Industrial centers such as Phase II, Sector 60, Sector 62 and Sector 84 have turned into flashpoints, with incidents of arson, stone-pelting and vandalism reported; The vehicles were set on fire and the factory buildings were damaged. The worst affected people were office goers trying to reach their workplaces in Delhi, Noida and Gurugram, as well as passengers heading to railway stations and Delhi airport. “I left home early thinking I would avoid the rush, but I was stuck near Sector 44 for over an hour,” said Richa Verma, an IT professional who was commuting to one of the company’s offices in Sector 135. “People were getting out of their cars, checking Google Maps, trying to identify alternative routes, but everything was crowded.” “It took nearly two-and-a-half hours to reach from Indirapuram to Okhla. The journey usually takes 45 minutes by car. There was no clarity on diversions,” said Ankit Sharma, a private sector employee who uses the DND route daily.

5. Police said about 42,000 workers gathered in about 83 locations, although violence was limited to a few pockets; Seven FIRs were registered and several people were detained.

6. Security forces used tear gas and implemented wooden canisters in some areas to disperse crowds, while officials stressed that “minimal force” was used to restore law and order.

7. Industry bodies cited deteriorating security, alleging attacks on factories, forced entry into buildings, and damage to infrastructure, raising concerns about business continuity in the area.

8. However, the workers accused the police of using force first and continued to demand higher wages, demanding a review of the law $10,000– $15,000 per month $18,000– $20,000 in line with neighboring states.

9. By the afternoon, authorities said the situation was largely under control with a heavy police presence, while the government formed a high-level committee and later announced an increase in the minimum wage to address workers’ complaints.

10. In Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad, unskilled workers will now be sourced $13690 per month, up from $11,313 while semi-skilled workers will receive $15,059 and skilled workers $16868 according to an official statement. For other municipal corporation areas, the revised monthly wages have been set at $13,006 for unskilled workers, $14,306 for semi-skilled workers $16,025 for skilled workers. In the remaining areas, unskilled workers will receive $12,356 monthly semi-skilled workers $13,591 and skilled workers $15,224.

(With inputs from Asmita Seth, Maria Khan, Karan Pratap Singh and Rajiv Mullick)