Around a month after the arrest of Jawaharlal Nehru University students and SAR Geelani on sedition charges, it has emerged that CPI (Maoist) has formed a unit named, ‘Joint Action for Social Justice’ for demanding withdrawal of sedition charges and to end alleged interference by Government in educational institutions.
According to highly placed sources in Delhi Police Intelligence unit, outer Delhi is also becoming a hub of naxalites as a number of youths in the area are being roped in by CPI (Maoist) for expanding it’s presence in the area.
Special Commissioner of Police (Intelligence) Balaji Srivastava has written a letter to the Delhi Police commissioner Alok Verma, Special commissioner (DGS) and law and order coordinator and special commissioner (special cell) informing about the activities of CPI (Maoist) in West Bengal in connection with the JNU stir.
“They (Naxals) have formed a ‘Joint Action for Social Justice’, a preparatory committee in Bengal, and organised a convention on March 3 in Kolkata, where the participants criticised the arrest of the students in Delhi,” stated the letter.
Moreover, it was also highlighted that some Maoist affiliates had organised a convention on February 19 demanding withdrawal of sedition charges, and end Government’s interference in educational institutions.
The letter named ‘CRPP,’ ‘Bandi Mukhti Committee,’ ‘People’s Union for Civil liberties,’ among the organisers.
Srivastava also informed about Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (pro-CPI Maoist)’s procession in Darjeeling on February 20 in protest against the issues in Delhi and Hyderabad.
“They had demanded unconditional release of SAR Geelani and punishment to those responsible for the death of Rohith Vemula,” wrote Srivastava.
According to sources, CPI (Maoist) is also targeting labourers from agriculture sector and other unorganised sectors for the recruitment of cadres in their unit. Outer Delhi and North-West Delhi are being exploited by the outlaws to rope in youth.
Maoists are also trying to bring back former activists of the organisation into its fold and also recruit more into it to expand their reach, sources added.
A case of sedition was registered against JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and two other JNU students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya last month for raising anti-national slogans during an event organised on JNU campus to mark death anniversary of Afzal Guru, 2001 Parliament attack convict, on February 9.
The case was registered under IPC Sections 124A (sedition), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (acts done by several persons with a common intention).
later, SAR Geelani was also booked under the same charges on February 16 for co-hosting an event at the Press Club of India to commemorate the hanging of Afzal Guru.
Kanhaiya with Khalid and Anirban were later released on bail, however, Geelani is still lodged in jail.
