Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday condemned the inhumane treatment of several labourers who were allegedly held captive in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh.
He said that this was not an ordinary criminal incident but rather the debris of a collapsed economy. He also stated that the victims should receive justice along with rehabilitation, and that the culprits should be given the harshest possible punishment.
Posting on X, Rahul Gandhi said, “The case of bonded labour in Muzaffarnagar is extremely shocking. Apart from being forced to work without wages, the labourers were bitten by dogs, stabbed with spears, whipped, and even fed cattle fodder. This is an attack on human dignity. The victims must receive justice along with rehabilitation, and the guilty should face the strictest punishment.”
He added, “At the same time, it is important for us to ask under what compulsions labourers get trapped in such dangerous situations. When jobs disappear, incomes stagnate, and protections meant for the most vulnerable sections—such as MGNREGA and labour laws—are weakened, desperation continues to grow.”
Rahul Gandhi said that people who have no other options or safety nets become easy targets for such exploitation. The Congress leader stated that this is not an ordinary criminal incident; it is the debris of a collapsed economy.
A day earlier, following a police raid in Muzaffarnagar district, 12 bonded labourers, including minors, were rescued from a paper-plate manufacturing factory. They were allegedly subjected to inhumane treatment.
