BENGALURU: Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa said on Thursday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed concern over violence at iPhone manufacturing company Wistron at Narasapur in Kolar district and asked the government to not let such incidents recur in the state.
The CM told reporters that the state government has already taken measures and declared it’s committed to punishing the perpetrators of the violence. “Such an incident should not have happened. Foreign companies are important to us. We will do everything to restore their confidence in us,’’ he added.
Yediyurappa said the state government was offering full support to the company to resume its operations at the earliest and without fear. The government’s action comes two days after the Centre pulled up the state for workers’ unrest at Wistron and delayed police response after violence broke out at the factory on Saturday. Karnataka labour minister Shivaram Hebbar termed the violence ‘unfortunate’. Contracted workers had ransacked the plant on Saturday, alleging harassment and non-payment of salaries. The company has put the loss at Rs 43 crore. Police have arrested more than 160 workers in connection with the violence. The Narasapur taluk president of SFI has been arrested on charges of instigating workers