Uttar Pradesh’s Noida that got hit with violent Workers’ Protests, on Monday, was planned systematically using social media handles like WhatsApp groups and even by a creation of call centre like setup, while investigating how it became so violent, says police officials.
What Police Say About The Planning Of The Protests?
With about 400 people arrested so far, it is clear that this was not a random or sudden event. Instead, the evidence shows it was a highly organized plan that relied on technology to carry out a coordinated operation as per Gautam Budh Nagar, Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh.
‘There is an organised group who are instigating the workers and systematically pushing things forward. In the past few days, just three to four days, numerous fake Twitter handles and other social media accounts have been created,’ she added.
Noida Unrest Was Organised In A Coordinated Manner, Say Police
‘This indicates that someone may be operating a call centre-like setup or using technology in a coordinated manner to incite unrest,’ says the Commissioner.
New Social Media accounts, coordinated messages, closed-group communication led to a systematic, organised gang operating behind the scenes, she added.
Officials say that the plan worked by using many apps to get people moving fast. They created several WhatsApp groups in a very short time and added workers using QR codes. This allowed the organizers to quickly gather a huge crowd while keeping their identities a secret.
What Steps Government Took Amid The Protests?
In order to quickly calm the protests, the Uttar Pradesh government is giving workers a raise. These higher pay rates actually came into force from April 1.
In the Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad areas, the monthly pay for unskilled workers went up from Rs 11,313 to Rs 13,690. People with more experience (semi-skilled) will now get Rs 15,059, and skilled workers will receive Rs 16,868, as per reports.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asked the employers to make sure they treat their workers fairly. He told them to pay wages on time, pay extra for overtime, and give people week offs and bonuses. He also said they must provide benefits like insurance and keep workplaces safe, especially for women.
