The Communist Party of India (CPI) on Saturday termed the conviction of human rights activist Binayak Sen by a Raipur court a “travesty of justice” and pointed out that genuine activists and even its party workers were being targeted by the Chhattisgarh police.
“All genuine activists like Dr. Sen and even CPI cadres are being targeted by the security forces in the State and false cases are being foisted on them. It is travesty of truth and justice,” CPI national secretary and Member of Parliament D. Raja said.
All democratic forces should rally behind Dr. Sen and challenge the order of the Additional District and Sessions Judge. If activists such as Dr. Sen, a well-known doctor working among tribals, have to face such a situation then the direction in which the society was going on needed to be questioned, he said.
“Atrocious”
“What is going on in Chhattisgarh is atrocious. If such activists, who are giving dedicated service to the tribals and other people in neglected regions of the country, have to face such a situation, then where are we heading?
Mr. Raja said that during a meeting with Home Minister P. Chidambaram a few months ago, the latter had promised to look into how the prosecution had gone against Dr. Sen. Mr. Chidambaram also described the Salwa Judum as “a non-State actor.”
The New Trade Union Initiative has criticised the conviction of Dr. Sen and others and urged the Centre to file an appeal in defence of the rights of its citizens.
In a statement issued here, it said over the past month the prosecution had been receiving wide publicity for “false and preposterous claims.” It said an email from Dr. Sen's wife, Ilina Sen, to the Delhi-based Indian Social Institute (ISI), was submitted as a proof of his contact with the Pakistan's ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence). “This clearly shows the total lack of police investigation, and in fact, the disregard for all norms of good legal practices exhibited by the Chhattisgarh,” the statement said.
