BSP Slams BJP for Arrests, NHRC Sends Notice to Maharashtra Govt

Following the serial arrests the previous day, the National Commission for Human Rights (NHRC) has sent a notice to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police in Maharashtra calling for a factual report within three weeks. The Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) has also issued a press release slamming the arrests.

The NHRC notice arose out of the wide coverage the arrests received. Their press release stated: “On the basis of the media reports, the Commission has observed that it appears, the standard operating procedure in connection with these arrests has not been properly followed by the police authorities, which may amount to violation of their human rights.”

“According to the media reports, carried today on the 29th August, 2018, the Delhi High Court has stayed the transit remand for civil liberties activist Gautam Navlakha, observing that police have not been able to satisfactorily explain the offence, he had been arrested for. The decision on a transit remand for lawyer-activist Sudha Bharadwaj is also pending before the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Faridabad. The activist has told the court that she had nothing to do with the incident for which she has been arrested. According to her, the FIR did not even name her and she is being harassed and arrested only because of her ideology.” the release added.

The NHRC also mentioned that they had received “a complaint from an NGO from Geneva regarding illegal arrest of five human rights defenders namely Surendra Gadling, Rona Wilson, Sudhir Dhawale, Shoma Sen and Mahesh Raut by Maharashtra police in the month of June, 2018. In that matter also, the Commission had issued a notice on the 29th June, 2018 to the DGP, Maharashtra calling for a report in the matter within four weeks, which is yet to be received.”

The BSP's press release slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the arrests. Their release has termed the policies of the ruling BJP government both in Maharashtra as well as the Union Government as being “anti-people”. The release also said that the people will be able to see the BJP's true colours after the arrests. The BSP has questioned the logic behind arresting civil rights activists who have been working for the rights of the Dalits, Adivasis and backward classes. Terming the arrests as politically motivated, the release also criticised the government's response to the Bhima Koregaon violence.