Stark reality of ‘Viksit Bharat’: Rahul Gandhi hits out over Noida protest

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Centre a day after violent workers’ protests in Noida, describing the unrest as the “final cry” of labourers struggling under rising costs and stagnant wages.

In a post on X, the leader of Opposition said the scenes on the streets reflected deep economic distress. “What unfolded on the streets of Noida yesterday was the final cry of this nation’s workers — a voice that went unheard at every turn, a voice weary from ceaseless pleading,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi highlighted the financial strain faced by daily-wage earners, noting that many workers earn around Rs 12,000 a month while paying Rs 4,000–Rs 7,000 in rent. “Before their wages can catch up, unbridled inflation strangles life, plunging them into debt — this is the stark reality of ‘Viksit Bharat’,” he said.

Citing rising living costs, he added, “As one female worker remarked, ‘Gas prices keep rising, but our wages do not’… some have had to spend up to Rs 5,000 for a single cylinder just to keep their homes running.”

Linking the crisis to global factors, Rahul Gandhi said, “The burden of America’s tariff wars, global inflation, and fractured supply chains has not fallen upon Modi ji’s ‘industrialist friends’. The heaviest blow has landed squarely upon the daily-wage labourer.”

“The labourer who played no part in any war… what does he receive when he demands his rightful dues? Coercion and oppression,” he added.

He also criticised recent labour reforms, alleging that new labour codes implemented in November 2025 effectively extended working hours. “Is the demand of a labourer, who works 12 hours a day and still struggles to pay school fees, unreasonable?” he asked, backing workers’ demand for a Rs 20,000 monthly wage. “This is not greed, it is his right,” he said.

“I stand with every worker who is the backbone of this country, and whom this government has come to view as a burden,” Rahul Gandhi added.

The remarks came after protests by factory workers demanding higher wages and better conditions turned violent across several industrial hubs in Noida on Monday. Vehicles were torched, public property vandalised and stone-pelting reported, disrupting traffic and leaving thousands stranded on key routes linking Delhi.

Police later used mild force to disperse protesters and registered multiple FIRs, including against social media handles accused of spreading rumours. According to Laxmi Singh, more than 300 people have been arrested and seven FIRs lodged, with investigations underway into a possible organised network behind the unrest.

Officials said the protests, which began peacefully in the morning across areas such as Sector 62, Sector 63 and Phase-2 industrial zones, escalated by afternoon, leading to large-scale disruption on National Highway-9 and at key entry points to Delhi. A state government panel has since been formed to address workers’ grievances.

With PTI inputs