New Delhi, June 24: In Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi have criticized both the central and state governments following the release of 12 bonded laborers from a factory. They have raised serious concerns regarding the economic and labor policies of the government.
Rahul Gandhi took to social media platform X to express his shock over the bonded labor situation in Muzaffarnagar. He highlighted the inhumane treatment of workers, stating that they were subjected to beatings, attacked by dogs, and forced to eat animal feed instead of receiving wages. “This is an attack on human dignity,” he asserted, calling for justice and rehabilitation for the victims, along with severe punishment for the perpetrators.
He emphasized the need to question the circumstances that trap workers in such dangerous situations. With job opportunities dwindling and protections like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) being weakened, desperation grows. Those without alternatives become easy targets for exploitation. “This is not just a criminal incident; it is the debris of a collapsed economy,” he remarked.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi also condemned the horrific bonded labor case in Muzaffarnagar, stating it is unacceptable in any civilized society. Reports indicate that the laborers were held captive and subjected to horrific torture instead of being paid. They were fed dry bread and animal feed, beaten with sharp weapons, and attacked by dogs.
“This is not merely cruelty by a few individuals; it is an assault on human dignity and our Constitution,” Priyanka asserted, calling for strict action against the offenders, ensuring that they face exemplary punishment.
Earlier, Muzaffarnagar police reported that on June 22, under the leadership of the Superintendent of Police, rural police and the Special Operations Group freed 12 laborers who had been confined in a factory in the Titaavi area. The rescued workers hailed from various states, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, and Rajasthan, with some being minors. They had been lured to the factory with promises of jobs, wages, food, and accommodation, only to be enslaved. They were forced to work 24 hours a day with only one meal of dry bread, and any attempts to leave or demand wages were met with violence. Their mobile phones were confiscated, and they were threatened with a pit bull. A specific individual, Shiva Tyagi, was reportedly hired by the factory owner, Ankit Baliyan, to oversee the beatings.
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