Supreme Court to hear pleas today challenging arrests of activists in connection with Bhima Koregaon violence
New Delhi, Aug 29 (IBNS): The Supreme Court on Wednesday will hear the pleas challenging the arrests of several human rights activities with alleged Maoist links across the nation in connection with the Bhima Koregaon violence, which erupted in early January near Pune.
The top court will hear the pleas at 3:45 pm.
Several rights activists, including Maoist ideologue Varavara Rao and lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj, were arrested by Pune Police in multi-city raids on Tuesday in connection with the Dalit-upper caste violence in Bhima Koregaon in January this year, triggering strong reactions from the critics of the BJP-led government at the centre.
The raids were carried out in several cities like Delhi, Faridabad, Goa, Mumbai, Ranchi and Hyderabad.
The arrested have been identified as Varavara Rao, lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj, activists Arun Fereira, Gautam Navlakha and Vernon Gonsalves, said reports.
According to reports, Vernon Gonsalves was arrested in Mumbai, Gautam Navlakha in Delhi, Sudha Bharadwaj in Haryana, and poet and Maoist ideologue P Varavara Rao in Hyderabad.
Rao was reportedly arrested in connection with an alleged conspiracy to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Late night reports said activist Sudha Bharadwaj, who was arrested from her residence in Faridabad, was being taken to Pune even as her lawyers alleged that the move is against the orders of Punjab and Haryana High Court, which they claimed put a stay order on her transit remand.
Blasting the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the arrests, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday tweeted, "There is only place for one NGO in India and it's called the RSS. Shut down all other NGOs. Jail all activists and shoot those that complain. Welcome to the new India. "
Reacting to Rahul's comment, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Tejashwi Yadav tweeted, "And irony is that even that one NGO is also not registered."
Loktantrik Janata Dal Party leader Sharad Yadav tweeted, "#BhimaKoregaon it is deplorable that instead of arresting those who attacked dalits, d people who are non violent writers, poets & lawyers being arrested by giving new name urban naxals. Freedom of speech & overall democracy which our Constitution makers gave us is in danger."
Attacking the BJP-led central government, senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot said in a tweet, "People who have been fighting for the rights of poor n marginalised are being harassed by Modi government. This is worst kind of surveillance that the nation has seen. Government wants to silence all dissenting voices. #BhimaKoregaon"
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