Mandla, Jun 15: Houses built on government land by 11 persons were demolished in tribal-dominated Mandla in Madhya Pradesh as part of action against the illegal beef trade in the state, a police official said on Saturday.

The action was taken after a tip off was received that a large number of cows had been held captive for slaughter in Bhainwahi area in Nainpur, Mandla Superintendent of Police Rajat Saklecha told PTI.

"A team was rushed there and we found 150 cows tied in the backyards of the accused. Cow meat was recovered from the refrigerators in the homes of all the 11 accused. We also found animal fat, cattle skin and bones, which were stuffed in a room," he said.

"The local government veterinarian has confirmed the seized meat is beef. We have also sent samples to Hyderabad for secondary DNA analysis. The houses of the 11 accused were demolished as they were on government land," the SP said.

The SP said an FIR was registered on Friday night following the recovery of the cows and beef, adding that one of the accused has been arrested while a hunt was on for the remaining 10.

"The 150 cows have been sent to a cattle shelter. Bhainswahi area had become a hub of cow smuggling for some time now. Cow slaughter in MP is punishable with a jail term of seven years," Saklecha added.

Police sources said criminal history of two of the accused has been gathered and the process was on to find out about the antecedents of the remaining persons. All the accused are Muslims, they added.

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New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Friday accused the Modi government of being "anti-worker" and demanded that the new labour code be reviewed, MGNREGA be revived as well as a national minimum wage of Rs 400 per day be established.

On International Labour Day, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge took a swipe at the government and said unemployment in India today is a direct consequence of the 'Hum Do, Hamare Do' policies.

"Driven by the 'Hum Do, Hamare Do' policy, the Modi government implemented an anti-worker Labour Code. As a result, unrest has erupted everywhere - be it in Noida, at the IOCL facility in Panipat, Adani's factory in Raikheda, NTPC Patratu, or the Samsung factory in Sriperumbudur," Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X.

Instead of ensuring job security, this Code promotes policies such as contract labour and 'Hire & Fire' practices, Kharge said and called for a review of the new Labour Code.

The Modi government has effectively dismantled MGNREGA by forcibly pushing legislation through Parliament, he alleged.

"Mr. Modi has shifted 40% of the wage burden onto the State governments. State governments are unable to bear this financial strain and will eventually be forced to stop providing work," he claimed.

The Modi government has compelled workers into a state of unemployment and pushed them towards 'gig work', Kharge said.

Currently, 69% of the workforce is working for wages below the statutory minimum wage, he said.

The Modi government has engineered a crisis of stagnant wages, Kharge alleged.

"When adjusted for inflation, the wages of the majority of India's workers have grown by less than 1% annually over the last decade (from 2014-15 to 2022-23)," he said.

The Modi government has created a massive unemployment crisis among the educated workforce, specifically, among graduates, Kharge claimed and added that jobs have been eliminated through the sale of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).

"The government has refused to fill approximately 30 lakh vacant government positions. Furthermore, the government's policy blunders have led to the decimation of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)," the Congress chief said.

The Congress reiterates its five demands for India's workers including revival of MGNREGA and its expansion to urban areas, Kharge said.

He said a national minimum wage of Rs 400 per day should be established, with MNREGA included within its scope.

Kharged demanded that a 'Right to Health' law must be enacted, providing Universal Health Coverage of up to Rs 25 lakh for laborers and workers.

"'Life Insurance and Accident Insurance' coverage must be provided for all unorganized workers. Preventing the contractualization of employment must be made a core priority of the government, and the new Labour Codes must be reviewed," Kharge asserted.