Chennai, June 28 (BPNS)
Human rights organizations of Tamil Nadu led by the Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Tamil Nadu chapter and some other NGOs are continuing their protest against the arrest of human rights activist Teesta Setalvad and retired DGP of Gujarat, R.B. Sreekumar by the Gujarat police.
Protests were conducted in Chennai, Tiruchi, Madurai, Coimbatore, Dindigul,Salem, and other major towns of Tamil Nadu.
PUCL national general secretary, V. Suresh told media persons that the state had used the observations made in the Supreme Court judgment falsely and had vindictively prosecuted those who were fighting against human rights violations.
It may be noted that the duo was arrested by the Gujarat Police after the Supreme Court had upheld the clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Gujarat riots case.
The Supreme Court had dismissed a petition filed by Zakia Jafry calling for an investigation into the criminal conspiracy which resulted in communal violence and killings in 2002 after the Godhra train burning incident that killed several Karsevaks.
Senior advocate of the Madras High court, R. Vaigai while participating in the protest march said that there is a direct attack against the social activists by the state. He said that such arrests could happen to anyone who was assisting victims seeking justice.
PUCL office-bearers told media persons that they would conduct protest marches across the state and corner meetings to apprise people of the gross human rights violations that were taking place in the country.
The office-bearers of the Civil liberties organization said that the Gujarat government was playing politics of vindictiveness against the social activists and added that the human rights organizations of Tamil Nadu will conduct protests by whatever means they could do.
Pughal, an NGO working against Human rights violations in Salem, and Erode also staged protests against the arrest of Teesta and Sreekumar.
K.R. Senthil, Chief Coordinator of the organization while speaking to BPNS said, ” The state is breathing heavily on the human rights activists and this is unbecoming of a democratic country like India. The government must revoke the arrest drama against Teesta and Sreekumar Sir and release them with immediate effect.”
