Reign of terror in UP as Yogi govt brutally crushes anti-CAA protests: Fact-finding team

News Network

December 26, 2019

New Delhi, Dec 26: There is a "reign of terror" in Uttar Pradesh where the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government is trying to crush the protests against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by "brazenly" targeting minorities, agitators and activists to suppress all kinds of dissent, a fact-finding team said on Thursday.

The report by the 'Ham Bharat ke Log: National Action Against CAA', which is an umbrella body of around 70 organisations, said there was "little doubt" that all this is happening under Adityanath's "personal direction, sanction and supervision".

"He (Adityanath) publicly announced a doctrine of revenge against the protesters. In a shocking audio tape in wide circulation, a senior police official can be heard saying that he has the Chief Minister's instructions and full immunity to beat the violent protesters to pulp so as to teach everyone a lesson. Sadly, none other than the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) has openly supported this wanton cruelty and breakdown of law and order," it said.

The fact-finding team, which consisted of activists Yogendra Yadav, Kavita Krishnan, Harsh Mander and Nadeem Khan, demanded that the state government must stop the "state-sponsored attack" on protesters, release innocent detainees and quash FIRs with large number of anonymous accused. It also demanded among others a probe by Supreme Court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) to unravel the "truth about protests, violence, police action and killings".

Releasing the report along with other members, Swaraj India's Yadav said, "there is a reign of terror in UP and the instructions come directly from the Chief Minister himself. It was the Chief Minister himself spoke about revenge. Not a single law in the country allows police to seek revenge. But this is the message given to police."

Activist Mander said the BJP-RSS is wedded to a different idea of India, a divisive India, which is against the spirit of what Mahatma Gandhi propagated. Speaking about those killed in police firing in Meerut, AIPWA's Krishnan said false cases were being foisted upon the victims and their families.

"One of the young victims was an e-rickshaw driver. He was staying in Delhi in his teenage and had identification papers from Delhi. He stayed with his parents in Meerut for so many years but after he was shot dead, police now accuse him of being a mastermind who brought outsiders from Delhi. Everyone in the neighbourhood told us that he was very well in Meerut working and that he was not involved," she said.

Khan of the United Against Hate said that there is a competition among police officers about who is filing more FIRs against protesters.

"The situation in UP is that many people have left their homes. Kanpur alone has an FIR against 22,500 unknown. People there says there has never been such a huge protest in Kanpur," he said adding families of victims of police firing are unable to get post mortem reports. He also claimed that FIRs were also filed against family members of victims so that they keep silence.

The report said, "media persons, human rights activists and even lawyers have been detained for trying to find out about the detainees. Opposition leaders have been prevented from visiting the places affected by police attrocities. Therefore, we still do not quite know the extent of police repression."

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Probe will reveal if ‘outsiders’ belonging to banned-PFI involved in Mandya violence: Home Minister

News Network

September 17,2024

Kalaburagi: Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said that alleged role of "outsiders" belonging to the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) in the violence at Nagamangala will be examined and action taken based on the probe report.

Clashes broke out between two groups during a Ganesh idol procession in the town in Mandya district following which mobs went on a rampage targeting several shops and vehicles leading to tension on September 11 night.

"Everything will be examined, investigation will be done, on getting the report we will decide. We will not protect anyone, and unnecessarily no one will be punished. We will look into the facts based on the inquiry report and take action accordingly," Parameshwara told reporters here.

He noted that two officials -- Deputy Superintendent of Police and Inspector -- have already been suspended, and added that further action will be taken based on the report.

The Minister said the government has taken the Nagamangala violence seriously and there is no question of taking such incidents lightly. "BJP makes such allegations, but we too have responsibility, we don't take anything lightly."

On allegations that "outsiders" were involved in the violence, Parameshwara said if inquiry reveals complicity of such elements, it would be examined and action taken accordingly.

Regarding claims that those belonging to the banned PFI were involved, he said: "It will be known from the probe."

On demand for a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into Nagamangala violence by BJP which alleged "failure" of state's home department, Parameshwara said: "they keep saying such things, we will not listen to all that."

According to police, an argument had broken out between two groups, when the procession by devotees from Badri Koppalu village reached a place of worship on September 11, and some miscreants hurled stones, which escalated the situation.

Following the clashes between the two groups, a few shops were vandalised and goods torched and vehicles set on fire, they added.

To allegations from some BJP leaders that the party MLA Munirathna was arrested "hurriedly", Parameshwara said, police acted after the complaint was given, "what's wrong in that?"

Munirathna, who represents Rajarajeshwari Nagar Assembly segment here, was picked up from Nangli village in Kolar’s Mulbagal on Saturday evening on charges of harassing a Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) contractor for bribe, casteist slurs on a former corporator, and also cheating, criminal intimidation and insulting a woman’s modesty.

Asked about "illegal items" seized from the prison here recently by officials, he said an investigation has begun on this.

When a photo of actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, who was lodged in Parappana Agrahara Prison here, hanging out with other inmates surfaced recently, action was taken based on the probe report and eleven officials were suspended.

"I will look into recent seizures made too and action will be taken; also probe is on at other prisons in the state and action will follow if anything wrong is found," the Minister added.

Police raided the high-security wing of Parappana Agrahara Central Prison here on Saturday and seized smartphones and other illegal goods.

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