Hyderabad protests to mark Noida activists’ seven months in jail

Hyderabad: A protest was held in the city on Wednesday, November 11, marking seven months since Noida workers and activists were jailed.

The protest was organised by the Campaign for Release of Workers and Activists of Noida (CaRWAN) at Sundarayya Park. Activists, students and common citizens joined the protest, which included speeches, slogans and posters.

Sreeja of CaRWAN said the Noida workers’ strike in April 2026, which saw thousands take to the streets demanding better wages and living conditions, disrupted the Yogi government’s efforts to project the city as an “investment hub”.

Instead of addressing those issues, the Yogi government chose to unleash a brutal repression against workers and justice-loving people who dared to stand with them, she alleged.

Motley group of activists, supporters still in jail

She said that Akriti (a PhD aspirant), Srishti (artist), Rupesh (auto driver), Manisha (factory worker), Aditya (software engineer), Himanshu (student), Satyam (journalist), and Yogesh (student) were arrested and have been languishing in jail for the last seven months for standing in solidarity with the movement.

She alleged that while activists appealed to workers to remain organised and peaceful, some individuals close to UP Police infiltrated the workers’ group to send provocative messages, as exposed in a sting operation.

Bhargavi highlighted that the UP Police illegally filed 11 FIRs for the same case, with NSA imposed against Akriti and Satyam. She pointed out that the Allahabad High Court quashed the NSA case against Akriti, stating that the state’s narrative was a “concocted story” unsupported by material evidence or video footage.

Bureaucratic delays and logistical burdens were keeping the activists in jail.

CaRWAN said it will keep organising such protest demonstrations and carry forward the struggle until every worker and activist in Noida is free.

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