The Uttar Pradesh Sugar Mills Association has alleged that legislators from the ruling party were issuing threats and harassing its local units. In a letter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Association’s secretary general Deepak Guptara alleged that some BJP MLAs and workers had indulged in ‘unreasonable behaviour, unlawful demands and physical harm and threats against its workers’.

 

In the letter, a copy of which is with The Hindu , Mr. Guptara said: “We regret to bring to your kind notice that there are repeated incidents of threats, manhandling and other cases of harassment against our members sugar factories. What is of grave concern is that almost all these cases involve elected representatives of the ruling party. This offensive behaviour against bona fide employees of sugar factories have left them demoralised and insecure and in many cases the employees are threatening to quit and leave.”

 

Mr. Guptara alleged that ruling party MLAs have been found involved in cases of threats and harassment in factories at Seohara (Bijnore), Babhnan (Gonda), Dhampur (Bijnore), Bundki (Bijnore) and Nigohi (Shahjehanpur).

 

He highlighted that the sugar mills were the biggest organised industrial activity in the State, which faces deep crisis due to lowering of prices. But still the sugar mills were honouring their word on timely payment of the fixed support price for cane so that the farmers do not face any hardship.

 

‘Deep unrest’

 

“The incidents of threats and harassment have the potential to cause deep unrest,” he added.