Chennai: Left parties on Saturday called for demonstrations at district headquarters across Tamil Nadu, condemning the alleged arrest of senior communist leaders and attacks on activists in Delhi during a protest demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
In a joint statement, the parties accused Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel of using force to prevent protesters from assembling at Jantar Mantar. They described the action as an assault on democratic rights and urged their supporters to organise demonstrations immediately.
The protest was called by the Cockroach Janata Party, with support from Left parties and mass organisations. It sought Kumar’s removal amid a wider campaign against him.
Authorities imposed extensive restrictions across the national capital ahead of the mobilisation.
According to the statement, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary M.A. Baby, Communist Party of India general secretary D. Raja and leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation were among those arrested in Delhi.
The parties alleged that youth and student organisation leaders, trade union activists and other leading workers were also taken into custody. Several detainees were kept inside police vehicles for hours, the statement said, criticising both the arrests and the treatment of those detained.
Police and paramilitary personnel prevented groups from gathering at different locations and arrested people attempting to join the demonstration, the parties alleged.
They also accused security forces of surrounding offices belonging to political parties and mass organisations to restrict the movement of activists.
The statement claimed that 254 trains bound for Delhi had been cancelled, 54 Metro stations closed and 35,000 police personnel deployed. The parties cited these measures as evidence of an extensive operation to obstruct participation in the protest.
They further alleged that authorities had disregarded the Supreme Court’s observations concerning peaceful protest, arguing that security arrangements should not extinguish citizens’ democratic right to assemble and express dissent.
Condemning the alleged attacks and arrests, the Left parties said the Union government bore responsibility for the conduct of Delhi Police and the paramilitary deployment. Their appeal urged party units and affiliated organisations across Tamil Nadu to mobilise at district headquarters against the crackdown while reiterating the demand for Kumar’s removal.
The proposed demonstrations would bring the protest against the Delhi action to district centres throughout the state, according to the joint statement.
–IANS–
