KOCHI: The Eloor police on Wednesday took 70 Hindu Aikya Vedi workers into custody while they were trying to hold a public meeting in support of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) at Pathalam here.
The police started arresting the workers, belonging to the organisation’s Eloor and Muppathadam wings, around 5.30pm, half- an-hour before the meeting was to be held. On Tuesday, the Hindu Aikya Vedi Eloor wing had held a meeting in CAA’s support at Pathalam, in which BJP state general secretary M T Ramesh was present.
“However, CPM, SDPI and PDP workers forcibly closed all the shops in the vicinity,” alleged M L Suresh, taluk secretary, Hindu Aikya Vedi. “So, we thought of conducting a meeting on Wednesday. We didn’t protest against any party or disturb the shops. However, the police began arresting our workers as soon as they reached Pathalam. At the same time, they did not take any action against hundreds of SDPI and CPM workers who had gathered at Pathalam. They acted in a biased manner,” said Suresh.Unlawful assembly,
say policeAn official with the Eloor police station said the workers were arrested for unlawful assembly.
“The police should be informed before such a meeting is held. They took permission for Tuesday’s meeting, but failed to inform us about the one planned on Wednesday,” said the official. He said no cases were registered against the workers and there were no reports of the presence of workers of other parties in the area.Suresh, however, said the workers did not hold a protest meeting. “We also did not use the microphones we had with us. Moreover, no prohibitory orders have been imposed in the area. So what was unlawful about the gathering? We were arrested even before the meeting began,” said Suresh.