Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday, 24 June condemned the alleged bonded labour case in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, where police rescued more than a dozen labourers reportedly held in inhumane conditions at a tote-making factory. Responding via a post on X, she called for strict legal action and punishment severe enough to set a precedent.

What the Rescue Operation Revealed

A joint team comprising police, district administration officials, and representatives of the Labour Department carried out a raid on Monday after a worker who managed to escape alerted authorities. The rescued labourers were reportedly locked inside the factory premises, denied wages, and subjected to physical abuse — including being beaten with sharp weapons and whips and allegedly made to be bitten by dogs, according to reports.

The workers were reportedly fed dry rotis and animal fodder. Their documents and mobile phones were allegedly confiscated, cutting them off from the outside world. Some claimed they had endured these conditions for as long as two years after being lured with promises of legitimate employment and regular salaries.

Who the Victims Are

The rescued labourers were reportedly brought from multiple districts across Uttar Pradesh and from neighbouring states including Bihar, Jharkhand, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand, as well as from Nepal. The cross-state and cross-border nature of the alleged trafficking underscores the organised scale of the operation, according to reports.

What Priyanka Gandhi Said

In her post on X, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra described the incident as a violation of human dignity and constitutional values. “A heart-wrenching case of bonded labour has come to light in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, which cannot be tolerated in any civilised society,” she wrote.

She added: “This is not merely cruelty against a few individuals, but an assault on human dignity and on our Constitution. Strict action must be taken in the matter, and the guilty must be given such punishment that it sets a precedent.”

Probe Under Way, Arrests Made

Authorities have initiated a formal investigation into the alleged offences, which include illegal confinement, physical assault, and reported deaths in captivity. Several suspected perpetrators have been arrested following the raid, according to reports. A probe is ongoing to determine the full scale of the operation and whether inter-state trafficking networks were involved.

This comes amid persistent concerns about bonded and forced labour in industrial pockets of western Uttar Pradesh, where migrant workers from economically vulnerable states have historically been at risk of exploitation. With arrests made and a probe under way, the case will now test the speed and rigour of the state’s legal response.