Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of making deliberate attempts to weaken labour-related laws. Alleging that Modi has launched a "big assault" on the workers, Gandhi vowed to fight their battle. He was speaking at the 31st Plenary Session of Indian National Trade Union Congress.

Gandhi said the prime minister considers an Indian worker as "dishonest, shirker and one who could be made to work only by wielding the stick". He added that labour laws were being diluted so that the workers can come to Modi’s knees. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the dissatisfaction of workers with the "anti-labour and unimaginative" economic policies of the National Democratic Alliance government was obvious from the one-day general strike observed in the country on September 2.