Tension grips Ramnagar in Kadma after musclemen of a private building material supplier attacked two labourers near their house, also in Ramnagar, after the labourers demanded a raise in their wages.
The attackers, who were the supporters of the building material supplier Upendra Upadhyaya had allegedly threatened to set the victims' houses on fire.
Those injured have been identified as Bulu Karmakar (35) and Jagdish lohar (30). Whereas Karmakar has sustained grievous head injury, lohar has got his left hand fractured. Both the victims have been admitted at the MGM Medical College Hospital.
The trouble started up as the daily-wagers wanted a raise in their wage from Rs 150 per trip to Rs 200 in view of the arrival of summer.
Following this about 300 residents of Gandhinagar, including women came to Kadma police station and staged a protest, demanding action against those indulged in the attack.
OC, Kadma police station, RD Singh confirmed about the attack on the labourers by the contractor's men and said that the trouble started after the labourers had demanded a raise of Rs 50 in the collective wage.
A resident of Ramnagar said that Upadhayaya had engaged five labourers for carrying bricks, stone-chips and sands in his truck.
" As per the investigation Upadhyaya would pay Rs 150 as wage per trip to the labourers who would divide the amount among themselves. But with the arrival of summer, the labourers two days ago wanted a raise of Rs 50 per trip, but the supplier refused to accept," said Sharma.
He said after the attack, bustee dwellers had also retaliated and had subsequently marched to the Kadma thana to protest the supplier's highhandedness.
Another resident who refused to be quoted said that the slum-dwellers had retaliated and hit back the supplier's men.
"Following the counter attack, both the conflicting sides have turned beligerent. It is for certain that more clash will take place shortly," said an anxious Sharma.Workers have lodged an FIR against Upadhayaya, Pintu Behra, Tapan Parmanik and Saurabh Jha, all residents of Ramnagar.