Despite widespread police repression and house arrests of CPI(ML) and AICCTU leaders across Uttar Pradesh, hundreds of AICCTU activists marched in Lucknow on Saturday, May 10 in protest against the repression on the Noida workers’ movement and the anti-worker policies of the Yogi government.
Ahead of the planned “Chief Minister Residence March,” police in several districts — particularly Lakhimpur Kheri, Maharajganj, Ayodhya, Sitapur, Pilibhit, Rae Bareli, Gonda, Ambedkarnagar, Saharanpur and Basti — placed CPI(ML) and AICCTU leaders under house arrest to prevent them from reaching Lucknow. In Varanasi, the party district secretary was detained from the railway station and brought back home under house arrest, while in Mathura party leaders were reportedly threatened by senior police officials and warned against participating in the protest.
Condemning the crackdown as an attack on democratic rights and political freedom, CPI(ML) said the Yogi government was attempting to suppress peaceful protests through unconstitutional police action.
Despite the detentions, hundreds of AICCTU activists gathered at Charbagh Railway Station and marched in protest. Heavy police deployment and barricading prevented the marchers from proceeding onto the main road, but protesters raised slogans in solidarity with the Noida workers’ struggle and against labour repression in the state.
The protest demanded an immediate end to the practice of house arrests and preventive detentions of political activists, unconditional release of workers and activists arrested in connection with the Noida movement, withdrawal of false cases, and an end to state repression on labour struggles.
The memorandum also demanded a minimum monthly wage of Rs. 44,000 for workers, implementation of the eight-hour workday, repeal of the four labour codes, and restoration of old labour protections. CPI(ML) and AICCTU reiterated their solidarity with workers’ movements across the country and declared that struggles against anti-worker policies and state repression would continue.
