Amnesty International Row: CPI(M) hits out at ABVP for 'suppressing freedom of opinion'
Hitting out at the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) over the Amnesty International India row, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on 17 August said the move to suppress discussion and freedom of opinion and impose Hindutva views cannot be accepted.
CPI (M) politburo member Prakash Karat told ANI that the meeting in Bengaluru was held to discuss the situation in Kashmir regarding the human rights violations there.
"Unfortunately, the police have filed an FIR on sedition charges against the organisers of the meeting. What is wrong in having a meeting to discuss the situation in Kashmir?" he asked.
Karat said the use of sedition clauses' in the name of anti-national activities is an effort to suppress all dissenting opinions.
"So, we do not accept this FIR and I think the government in Karnataka must see that this case is withdrawn against the organisers. The complaint has been lodged by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and all these organisations connected with the RSS are trying to impose their Hindutva views on everybody else. So, this has to be opposed," he added.
Meanwhile, on 17 August, Congress leader Digvijay Singh tweeted, "Simply raising slogans is not a fit case to be charged with Sedition. It is a law which British used against our leaders in Freedom Movement."
Simply raising slogans is not a fit case to be charged with Sedition. It is a law which British used against our Leaders in Freedom Movement
— digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) August 17, 2016
After a sedition case was registered against Amnesty International India in connection with the alleged raising of independence slogans by pro-freedom Kashmiris, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on 16 August said the state police is probing the case.
Reacting to the FIR filed by the ABVP group, Amnesty International India in a statement said the allegations mentioned in the complaint are without substance, adding it is an attempt to prevent the families of victims of human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir from having their stories heard.
"At the same time, the authorities are also stopping civil society organisations from enabling these families to exercise their constitutional right to justice. Amnesty International India's vision is for every person in India to enjoy the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, other international human rights standards, and the Constitution of India. We are independent of any political, economic or ideological interests," it added.
According to reports, the FIR has been registered under IPC Sections- 142 (being member of an unlawful assembly), 143 (whoever is a member of an unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language etc. and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony.
The event was organised by Amnesty International India at United Theological College.
--With inputs from agencies
First published: 17 August 2016, 13:23 IST
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