The arrest of activists Piyush Manush, Valarmathi and actor Mansoor Ali Khan in Salem for opposing the proposed eight-lane green corridor between Salem and Chennai has drawn flak from rights activists and political parties alike.
Condemning the arrest as a repressive action against citizens, rights activists said expressing dissent was a fundamental right in any democratic society and the arrest of the three was a brazen violation of the Supreme Court guidelines.
People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) national general secretary and advocate V. Suresh said the charges against the activists seemed to be trumped up.
Ulterior motive alleged
“We also condemn the arrest of Mr. Khan who has been named in the same FIR for a speech he is reported to have made on May 3, 2018. We have also come to know that there is yet another FIR registered in Omalur police station against Mr. Piyush, film maker-politician Seeman and some others for participating in a meeting opposing the Salem airport expansion and green corridor project,” he said.
Demanding the immediate release of the three, Dr. Suresh said, “We fear that police might use the several cases now being foisted on Mr. Piyush and others, as the basis to invoke and detain them under the draconian National Security Act or the Goondas Act thereby ensuring that they remain in prison for a long period without bail,” he said. “How can the government tell its own people that they can’t oppose a project or even voice their concerns?” asked National Confederation of Human Rights Organisations president A. Marx.
