Many student leaders and activists have been arrested under draconian laws like UAPA amid lockdown, which leaves less space for dissent in the nation.
New Delhi: The introduction of the new citizenship law stirred a wave of spontaneous dissent in India which was mainly led by students and women from different the states.
The movement that mainly began from the capital city had already reached many parts of the country within 15 days. Many ‘Shaheen Baghs’ were launched.
During the rise of Anti-CAA movement, simultaneously, many violent incidents occurred– which were not a part of this protest.
The Jamia AMU and JNU attack, the widespread violence in Assam and parts of Delhi and UP, attacks Shaheen Bagh/ Jamia protesters by gunmen, and the most deadly was the Delhi Riots when US President Donald Trump visited India.
Many people, mainly students and activists, have been arrested for ‘inciting’ Delhi riots. It has been claimed that most of them are from the minority community.
On Saturday, the Delhi Police arrested two founding members of the women-led rights movement, Pinjra Tod, for taking part in a sit-in Anti-CAA protest at Jafrabad in February this year.
However, they were granted bail. But police rearrested them. This time, police claimed to have acted on an FIR that includes murder charges.
Umar Khalid, one such activist who has been targetted for ‘inciting’ riots and whose name has been also floated around sedition and UAPA by the state every now and then.
Khalid says that this lockdown was supposed to flatten COVID curve and instead the government of India is attempting to flatten the dissent curve.
Also Read: Clashes In Delhi’s Jaffrabad After BJP MP’s Rally, Stone Pelted On Anti-CAA Protesters
“Why has there been no FIR filed against BJP’s Anurag Thakur for raising ‘Goli Maro’ slogan?” Khalid asks Delhi police.
“Why has there been no FIR against Kapil Mishra?”
“Why is Komal Sharma not being investigated for JNU attack? Her information was presented by the media already.”
“People have been arrested on a specific FIR but when they move bail or are granted bail, Delhi police files and arrests them under a different FIR. It’s a pattern.”
“This is a move to criminalise protests and they are also painting the movement as a conspiracy,” Former JNU student says.
“What kind of government fixes its political opposition on students?”
Inspite of all the atrocities, we will raise voice against anti-people policies within the realm of the Constitution of India, Umar Khalid says.
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