Chaos reigned across the industrial landscape of Noida on Monday as a massive wave of labour protests brought the city to a standstill. What began as a demand for salary revision quickly escalated into widespread violence, leaving a trail of destruction in major industrial hubs, including Phase 2 and Sector 59 to 63.The agitation, triggered by a regional push for higher minimum wages, saw hundreds of workers take to the streets, disrupting traffic on key arterial roads and sparking clashes with law enforcement.The situation turned particularly grim in Noida’s Sector 63, where protesters targeted Vipul Motors, an authorised Maruti Suzuki service centre. Eyewitnesses reported a mob armed with sticks and clubs descending upon the facility, setting four or five vehicles ablaze and smashing the windows of nearly 25 others. Similar reports of arson emerged from Sector 84 and Phase 2, where at least two motorcycles and several private cars were torched and a police van was vandalised.Incidents of stone-pelting were also reported, and several people, including police personnel, sustained injuries during skirmishes. To curb the spiralling violence, the administration rushed heavy reinforcements, including the Provincial Armed Constabulary and the Rapid Action Force. The police have arrested over 50 individuals in connection with the rioting.The unrest paralysed the city’s mobility, with bumper-to-bumper traffic jams reported at the Chilla Border, DND Flyway and the Delhi-Meerut Expressway. Commuters were stranded for hours as the protesters blocked the Noida link road and main thoroughfares near the NSEZ Metro station.The turmoil was a direct spillover of events in Haryana, where the industrial belt of Manesar was paralysed two days ago by strikes at the Honda plant and other units. While Haryana eventually announced a wage hike of up to 35 per cent, the fire of dissent spread rapidly into Uttar Pradesh. Workers in Noida are now demanding monthly wages between Rs 18,000 and Rs 20,000. The “movement” has expanded into Faridabad and Palwal.Politically, the protests have triggered a sharp war of words. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath termed the violence a conspiracy to disrupt the state’s development and ordered a high-level committee to resolve the discord, while directing strict action against “anti-social elements”.Conversely, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav slammed the government, attributing the unrest to rampant inflation and questioning the failure of the state intelligence.