BS Yediyurappa assures support to restart production at iPhone plant, says PM worried about violence

Bengaluru, Dec 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "very much worried" about the recent violence at the Wistron's iPhone manufacturing plant in Karnataka, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said on Thursday, as he assured his government's full support to the company for restarting production.

The government has given necessary instructions and such things would not be repeated, he told reporters here. "We have taken action, It is a very important foreign company and this (incident) should not have happened. The Prime Minister is also very much worried about this development," Yediyurappa said.

"...We will give full support to that company, without any problem let them continue production," he added. A section of workers at the plant, run by the Taiwanese contract manufacturer for Apple at Narsapura in Kolar district, had gone on a rampage on Saturday over alleged delay in payment of salary and overtime wages.

Over 160 people have been arrested by the police in connection with the violence during which stones were hurled, windows and doors broken and vehicles in the parking lot overturned and set on fire. Video footage of the attack had flooded the social media.

State Labour Minister Shivaram Hebbar on Wednesday had said investigations into the violence were on and a report was likely in a couple of days. He expressed hope about the factory restarting production soon with the central government also involved in addressing issues.

The union Commerce and Industry Ministry has advised the state government to complete at the earliest the inquiry into the violence and to ensure that investor sentiment was not affected by this one-off incident. Meanwhile, state Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai in a tweet has said the Police has taken prompt action in connection with the incident and arrested 164 people.

"The Wistron company which said Rs 437 crore loss earlier, now has in writing (said) that loss is Rs 43 crore, therefore, some international media is blowing (it) out of proportion," he said.