The Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) strongly condemned the arrest of its president Abhay Sahoo on Saturday. PPSS members alleged that the State Government has lodged 50 false and fabricated cases against their leader.
PPSS spokesperson Prashant Paikaray in a statement said Sahoo’s arrest would not dampen the stir against the land acquisition drive for Posco. “We understand that this is part of a larger game plan to destabilise the movement and force the project on our unwilling people, but the movement will gather more momentum,” Paikaray said.
“We have been peacefully resisting all types of criminal forces for more than eight years, but ironically hundreds of cases are being foisted on us by the police,” said Paikaray, adding, “Till now, more than 200 false cases have been registered against our villagers, including 340 women.”
He called upon people’s organisations, political parties, activists, intellectuals and people at large to condemn the “undemocratic arrest of Sahoo and demand his immediate release.
Protesting Sahoo’s arrest, the Communist Party of India (CPI) staged a demonstration at the Rajmahal Square here on Saturday. Party workers and supporters led by Bhubaneswar zone secretary Sura Jena came in a procession from the party office and held the demonstration blocking the road.
The party leaders demanded unconditional release of Sahoo and withdrawal of the “fabricated cases” against the Posco protesters.