[Reader-list] CDRO statement against arrest of APCLC activists

[asit das]

 Andhra Pradesh - CDRO statement against arrest of APCLC
activists<http://sanhati.com/articles/5611/>

*September 28, 2012*

Arrest of the activists of Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee (APCLC)
in Karimnagar district of the state is yet another sign of muzzling of
democratic voices of protest and erosion of the democratic space. On 27th
September 2012, leading activists of APCLC Chiluka Chandrasekar (gen
secretary) ,V.Raghunath (Joirnt Sec), Mallareddy and Kumarswamy (President
and Secretary of Karimnagar unit) Lingam and Narayanrao (Hederabad unit)
Akbar and Gopi (Telangana Singareni rights organisation) were charged with
false cases. These arrests came from the site of a protest meeting called
by the Karimnagar unit of the APCLC against the state repression of
movement demanding formation a new Telengana state. The activists have been
charged under sections 153, 147 and 149 of the IPC dealing with inciting
riot, rioting, and unlawful assembly etc.

It is an irony that Chief Ministers and self appointed champions of
regional and communal interests openly inciting hatred between people on
religious and regional lines are cajoled and protected in a democratic
state. On the other hand, those questioning the indiscriminate and
unconstitutional tendencies of the law enforcing agencies are detained and
arrested. The Coordination for Democratic Rights Organisations (CDRO)
strongly condemns these arrests and sees this as a continuous process of
unrelenting attack by the state on the organized efforts of people to
demand formation of the Telengana state. The CDRO demands immediate release
of the arrested activists and restoration of their right to organize,
assemble and protest in pursuance of legitimate political demands.

*Asish Gupta (PUDR),
Kranti Chaitanya (APCLC)
(Co-ordinators, CDRO)*