Activist Natasha Narwal’s father Mahavir Narwal died due to COVID-19 related complications on Sunday. Ms.Natasha has been lodged in Tihar Jail after being arrested in May last year for allegedly being part of a premeditated conspiracy in the north-east Delhi riots in February that year.
Breaking the news, Pinjra Tod, the organisation Natasha has been a part of said her bail petition to visit her father in the hospital was to be heard on May 10.
“Mahavir Narwal campaigned hard to prove the innocence of Natasha, who was incarcerated for her peaceful participation in the protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. He himself had been imprisoned for his participation in protests during the Emergency period,” Pinjra Tod said in a statement.
Mr. Narwal was associated with the People’s Science Movement and the Gyan-Vigyan Andolan since its inception in Haryana.
Condolences pour in
Several left-wing politicians and activists condoled his death. CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat tweeted: “Extend my deep condolences to Natasha and her brother Aakash. The terrible injustice of the system in which a daughter wrongly locked up for a year unable to see her father even for a final farewell.”
CPIML politburo member Kavita Krishnan tweeted: “This is so bloody cruel & sadistic: it’s a form of torture to keep political prisoners jailed during a pandemic, forced to suffer not only prison, but the pain of being away from loved ones who are dying. Natasha's brother also has Covid-19 [sic],” she said.
Earlier, Pinjra Tod had organised a twitter storm to campaign for Ms. Natasha’s release so that she could be with her father and support her family as they were battling COVID-19.
