[Reader-list] Fwd: [pudr-info] Press Statement: PUDR strongly condemns the unconstitutional and undemocratic act of the Central Government in detaining Anna Hazare and his supporters

[Nagraj Adve]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: PUDR Delhi <pudrdelhi at gmail.com>
Date: 16 August 2011 18:04
Subject: [pudr-info] Press Statement: PUDR strongly condemns the
unconstitutional and undemocratic act of the Central Government in detaining
Anna Hazare and his supporters
To: pudr-info at pudr.org


 *PEOPLES UNION FOR DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS*

*Press Release*

*16th August 2011*

** **

Peoples Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) strongly condemns the
unconstitutional and undemocratic act of the Central Government in detaining
Anna Hazare and his supporters in the early hours of 16th August, who were
scheduled to arrive at the site of peaceful demonstration. PUDR considers
the conditions laid down by the government such as number of participants
allowed, timing of the demonstrations etc. to be authoritarian. PUDR is
concerned that this clampdown on democratic rights represents the shrinking
democratic space in the country where S. 144 of CRPC is used to prevent
citizens from lodging their disapproval of government policies and actions.

 PUDR is of the opinion that irrespective of politics they espouse,
individuals and organisations have the legitimate right to mobilise people
and stage protest against the government policies which they dislike or
oppose.  In the specific instance of the Lokpal bill there maybe sharp
disagreement over the various versions of the bill in the public domain from
a variety of vantage points. We are mindful of the fact that two most talked
about bills namely the government version and Anna Hazare’s team version
have been subjected to public criticism for a variety of reasons.  However,
 for the government to claim that once the matter is placed before the
parliament there is no cause for public protest  smacks of government being
innocent of constitution they have sworn to protect. We wish to remind the
central government that neither they nor the parliament can take away
people’s inalienable rights under the spurious plea that once people elect
their representatives right to protest by citizens gets curtailed.

 PUDR  is also concerned that it is the Central Government, which  by taking
recourse to undemocratic means,  is further alienating people and compelling
them, to *either *become mute witness to government-bureaucracy-corporations
nexus  in loot and plunder of the public funds, or to  take recourse to
 violent means of protest.

 PUDR, therefore, calls upon people to oppose the government stand on
clamping down on legitimate protests and question government's right to
decide what is permissible and what is not, so long as protests are
peaceful.



Paramjeet Singh and Harish Dhawan

(Secretaries PUDR)

** **