KOLKATA: Condemning the police raids on prominent Left-wing activists in several states, the CPI(M) today accused the BJP-led Centre of "attacking the democratic rights of people" in a bid to shield the real culprits of Koregaon-Bhima violence.
Maharashtra police raided the homes of prominent Left-wing activists in Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi, Faridabad and other places and arrested at least five of them for suspected Maoist links, sparking a chorus of outraged protests from human rights defenders.
"This is a brazen attack on democratic rights and liberties. The BJP government is desperately trying to protect the culprits by harassing civil and human rights activist. This is very dangerous trend for our democracy," CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury told reporters in Kolkata.
The searches were carried out as part of a probe into the violence between Dalits and the upper caste Peshwas at Koregaon-Bhima village near Pune on December 31 last year.
"Ever since the Bhima Koregaon violence on December 31, the Maharashtra police along with central agencies have been targeting Dalit rights activists and lawyers who are taking up the case," Yechury asserted.
Police are wrongfully invoking the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act against the activists, he claimed.
"We demand that police stop harassing the activists and arrest the actual culprits who were involved in the clashes.
The television footage of the incident clearly show the persons who were involved in the attack. So why are the police arresting the protesters?" Yechury added.