Uproar after raids, arrest of activists; Oppn says Modi government targeting Dalits

New Delhi: The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) along with several other political parties, lawyers, academics and authors on Tuesday criticised the arrests of various activists over suspected Maoist links. Strongly protesting the raids conducted by police authorities on the homes of various civil and human rights, the polit Bureau of the CPI(M) alleged that the police have been targeting Dalit rights activists an intellectuals after Bhima Koregaon riots.

"These constitute a brazen attack on democratic rights and civil liberties. The CPI-M demands withdrawal of the cases against these activists and their immediate release," Senior CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat said today.

"The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) strongly protests the raids conducted by police authorities on the homes of various civil rights and human rights activists and Left intellectuals," the party said in a statement. "Ever since the Bhima Koregoan violence against Dalits, the Maharashtra Police along with central agencies has been targeting Dalit rights activists and lawyers who have been taking up their cases. False charges have been levelled and the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act invoked," it said.

Award-winning author Arundhati Roy too condemned the arrests of activists and called the act a 'dangerous sign of a government.' "The arrests are a dangerous sign of a government that fears it is losing its mandate and is falling into a panic. That lawyers, poets, writers, Dalit rights activists and intellectuals are being arrested on ludicrous charges," she said. 

Noted historian Ramachandra Guha called the action "absolutely chilling" and demanded the intervention of the Supreme Court to stop this "persecution and harassment" of independent voices. "Sudha Bharadwaj is as far from violence and illegality," tweeted Guha.

"Fascist fangs are now openly bared," tweeted lawyer Prashant Bhushan. "It is a clear declaration of emergency. They are going after anyone who has spoken against the government on rights issues. They are against any dissent," Bhushan said.

The police conducted raids in Mumbai, Delhi, Ranchi, Goa and Hyderabad and arrested some of the activists like Sudha Bharadwaj, Varavara Rao and journalist Gautam Navlakha. The police also took in its possession laptops, mobiles and some papers from the homes of those raided.

On January 1 this year, violent clashes broke out between the Dalits and right-wing Hindutva groups in Bhima Koregaon on the outskirts of Pune where the former had gathered in large numbers to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Bhima Koregaon battle in which the Peshwas were defeated by a British Army that had Mahar soldiers.