India: CASR strongly condemns the NIA raids on the house of labour and student rights activists in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi

We hereby share a statement by Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) that we have received.

STOP WITCH HUNTING AND INTIMIDATION OF ACTIVISTS!

WE DEMAND QUASHING OF BOGUS FIR NO. RC-01/2023/NIA/LUCKNOW INTENDED FOR THE WITCH HUNTING OF ACTIVISTS ACROSS NORTHERN STATE LIKE THE BHIMA KOREGAON CASE!!

On the Early morning of 20th December 2024, houses of labour rights activist Rampal Singh in village Gandhar district Sri Muktsar Sahib; Ex-President of Students for Society (SFS) Damanpreet Singh from Patiala; Ajay Kumar-Priyanshu & Jagdish Singh ( former General Secretary DGMF)at Okhla Industrial Area from Delhi General Majdoor Front(DGMF); Anti Displacement Activist Shree Ram from Delhi Ex-FACAM (Forum Against Corporatisation And Militarisation) member; Bindu Ram from Bhuri Village, Sonipat, Haryana.

Rampal Singh and Bindu Ram are working with Manesar General Majdoor Sangh (MGMS) a Trade union organization based in Manesar Gurugram. 3 Months Back on 6th September his organisation’s President Anirudh Rajan was also arrested under UAPA by Bangalore Police when he travelling to his home Chennai.

During the raids in Rampal Singh’s home the NIA tried to get a forceful confession from the labour rights activists and their families and threatened them to sign any documents whenever provided them in the police station. In Delhi, during the raid the NIA personnels had taken both Ajay Kumar and Priyanshu outside their room in order to get their signatures forcefully on the some random confession papers. Also, after the completion of the raid and seizure report they were trying to add some more things in the seizure report which were not with them.

These raids have been conducted in connection with FIR No RC-01/2023 NIA Lucknow, 3 months before in this case NIA already arrested advocate Ajay Kumar and raided various house of activist in Punjab, Haryana, Uttarpradesh. 

 NIA, the Gestapo forces of the Brahminical Hindutva fascists RSS-BJP has been cooking up the Lucknow Conspiracy Case in an attempt to arrest, threaten and silence dissent. This is a similar attempt as that of Bhima koregaon conspiracy case.This is all done in an attempt to silence the resistance and fighting voices of the exploited and oppressed masses. We also know that various courts in the country have stated in various judgements that, it is not a crime under the law to believe in the ideology of Maoism or even being a member of CPI(Maoist). However, various prominent social activists, lawyers, trade union activists and human rights activists are tagged as “overground workers” CPI (maoist) and are kept in jail without trial for years. Thus, the trial itself becomes punishment.

CASR demands an immediate end to the witch-hunt being carried out by NIA across the country in the name of Urban Naxals/OGWs. We also urged progressive and democratic organizations to come together and raise voices against NIA witch hunting of of activist.

Organizing Team 

(AIRSO,AISA, AISF, APCR,ASA,BAPSA BBAU,BASF, BSM, Bhim Army, bsCEM, CEM,COLLECTIVE,CRPP, CSM CTF, , DISSC, DSU, DTF, Forum Against Repression Telangana, Fraternity ,IAPL, Innocence Network, Karnataka Janashakti, LAA,Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, Mazdoor Patrika, , NAPM, NAZARIYA , Nishant Natya Manch, Nowruz, NTUI, People’s Watch, Rihai Manch, Samajwadi Janparishad,Smajwadi lok manch, Bahujan Samjavadi Mnach, SFI, United Peace Alliance, WSS,Y4S)