Bhim Army storms Capital

Demands rollback of NSA charges against group’s founder

NEW DELHI, 21/11/2017: Members of Bhim Sena staging a protest demonstration outside UP Bhawan demanding the release of Bhim Army founder Chandrashekhar Azad (Ravan) arrested under the National Security Act, in New Delhi on Tuesday. Photo: V. Sudershan

Members of Dalit rights organisation Bhim Army protested outside Uttar Pradesh Bhawan at Chanakyapuri here over imposition of charges under the National Security Act (NSA) against founder Chandrashekhar Azad after he was granted bail by the Allahabad High Court.

The protesters, who had come from all over the country, including Bihar, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Assam, raised slogans of “Jai Bhim” and “Stand for Dalits” outside UP Bhawan.

Group defence convenor Pardeep Narwal, a JNU student, said, “Mr. Azad is being wrongly detained by the Adityanath-Modi government. We will keep protesting till he is released. It is not just Saharanpur’s protest. It is a protest to strengthen every Dalit who has been denied his/her rights in the country.”

“Aggression against Dalits has increased since the Yogi [Adityanath] government came to power. Dalit houses are being burnt across the country but the government is yet to take a stand. This [the BJP] government will not come back to our zila of Saharanpur,” said Rohit Raj Gautam, the president of the group’s Rampur Vidhan Sabha constituency area.

‘Empty promises’

“The UP government came to power promising

sabka vikas [development for all], but it was an empty promise. The government is trying to destroy the Bhim Army since it exposed the government’s wrongdoings. Mr. Azad was even denied medical facilities. What else should one expect from a government that is misusing laws made to protect the people against citizens?” said Delhi University activist Kawalpreet Kaur.

Social activist Arya added, “The fact that hundreds of policemen have been deployed for this protest shows how insecure the government is about the protest spreading across the country if adequate measures are not taken. This is a form of State repression that must be stopped.”

Khalid Saifi of the #UnitedAgainstHate campaign said: “We will fight till our demands are met and NSA charges against Mr. Azad are rolled back. We fight not just for Dalits, but for the farmers, the women and all other SCs, STs and OBCs who are being denied their rights.”