Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday questioned Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over his remarks linking the Noida workers’ agitation to a conspiracy, saying he should step down if he cannot handle the situation.
Taking to social media, Yadav also asked whether the state’s intelligence machinery had failed if the protest was indeed part of a conspiracy.
"If the honourable chief minister is calling the Noida workers' movement a conspiracy by someone, then the public has one question for you: if this is true, was your intelligence police accompanying you to campaign in Bengal, or was it engrossed in 'vanaspati' research (a sarcastic reference to intoxicants), or under its influence?" Yadav posted on X.
"Before tarnishing the workers' movement with allegations of Naxalism, you should first explain what you've done that has led to such conditions in the last 10 years. If you can't apply balm to the workers' wounds, then don't, but at least don't sprinkle salt on those wounds," he said.
The former UP chief minister claimed that families are already distressed due to the inflation born from "BJP's commission-driven dealings" and said, "The sin you're committing by piling on unwarranted blame is utterly reprehensible".
"This could make an already bad situation even worse. If you can't manage the state, then step down from this seat with dignity; otherwise, the public will throw you out," Yadav posted in Hindi.
He further alleged that the BJP leaders themselves are neck-deep in the final phase of corruption, which is why neither the country nor the state is being managed under them.
"The BJP's double engine has turned into a trouble engine for the public. The people will dismantle the wheels of all these engines, pull out the parts and send them to the scrapyard forever," he added.
His sharp remarks follow Adityanath's public event address in Muzaffarnagar where he appealed to workers to maintain peace and cautioned them against elements trying to incite unrest.
"Uttar Pradesh is progressing steadily but some people are conspiring against this growth," the chief minister said.
"I appeal to all the personnel employed in industrial units, as well as to the workers working with them, to recall how this 'double-engine' government stood by your side, something which you witnessed firsthand during the COVID-19 period," he said.
"The government stands firmly with the workers and will provide security to the entrepreneur while simultaneously offering protection to every single worker," Adityanath said while urging industrialists to maintain dialogue with employees.
He also said workers should "be wary of those who incite unrest" and highlighted the government's efforts to implement measures ensuring minimum honorarium and social security.
The political exchange follows unrest in Noida earlier in the day, where protests by factory workers demanding a wage hike turned violent in areas such as Phase-2, Sector 60, Sector 62 and Sector 84, with incidents of stone-pelting, arson and vandalism reported.
Police said the situation is under control with heavy deployment across industrial zones, and efforts are underway to restore normalcy, while the administration has announced measures including double overtime wages, weekly offs and bonuses to address workers' concerns.
(With inputs from PTI)