50 migrant workers booked after clashes with Haryana Police near Delhi-Gurugram border

Sanjay Yadav
Gurugram, May 20

Gurugram Police booked over 50 people and detained three after some migrant workers clashed with police at Palam Vihar on Wednesday, officials said.

Hundreds of workers employed at industrial units at Udyog Vihar swarmed Kapasera and Bjiwasan—two areas that are on the Haryana’s border with Delhi—in an attempt enter the city.

Haryana Police, taken by surprise, tried to stop the crowd, leading to heated exchanges and later clashes. Police claimed some in their ranks were wounded in stone pelting from the mob at Salahpur.

Haryana Police claimed that the migrants did not hold valid passes to enter the state and that they had no orders to let them through. They also accused their Delhi counterparts of doing nothing to stop the swarming mob despite putting up a check post.

“All industrial workers have been issued passes and according to our Information the workers will be lodged in city by industries. They had no I-cards, no passes and were entering forcibly. We have no orders to let them in so we stopped them and they attacked,” Inspector Devender Singh, Station Head Office of Udyog Vihar police station who was on spot, told The Tribune.

 At least 50 people have been booked for rioting (Section 147), unlawful assembly (section 148), obstructing a public servant (Section  186),  assaulting public servant (353), voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty (332), disobeying public servant (Section 188), negligent act that could spread infection (Section 269) and criminal intimidation (Section 506), as well as section of the Disaster Management Act.

The development comes after Haryana’s industries were allowed to resume operations after central government eased travel restrictions and allowed industries activities to resume in several places.

Haryana sealed its borders with Delhi earlier this month and handed out passes to industrial workers in an attempt to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Animesh Saxena, president of Udyog Vihar Industrial Association, said industries in Gurugram were finding it difficult to house industrial workers, most of who live in Delhi, on their premises. This restriction, he said, has hampered operation of industries.

“The government allowed us to operate with full strength but most of the workers stay in Delhi near the border. Authorities gave them a one-time pass and asked us to lodge them. We have neither space not resources for that and so we cannot call them to work. Most of the units remain non-functional because of this,” Saxena said.

Meanwhile, in a later development, Haryana took back its decision to allow inter-state buses and restricted public transport within the state.