THE CPI (ML), AIPWA, Insaf Manch, Mahila Jagriti Samiti and Rhythm jointly organized a protest march in Varanasi on 5 September 2018 from Shastri Chowk to the District Head Office demanding release of human rights activists. A protest meeting was held and a memorandum submitted to the Collector.
The following demands were made through the meeting: release all arrested human rights activists without delay; arrest the real culprit in Bhima Koregaon Sambhaji Bhide; a court-monitored CBI enquiry into all shelter homes in UP including the Devariya shelter home; free gas cylinders under Ujjwala scheme; arrest criminals who attacked dalits in Mirzapur and Hafiz Naseem in Banaras; release Chandrashekhar Azad without delay.
CPI (ML) leader Com. Amarnath Rajbhar said that the arrest of the human rights activists is actually a tactic to shield the real culprit Sambhaji Bhide who is being protected by Modi and Fadnavis. He demanded the immediate release of the activists and withdrawal of all charges against them, and arrest of Sambhaji Bhide. AIPWA State Secretary Com. Kusum Verma said that the hushing up of the Devariya shelter home shows that the Yogi government and his Ministers are directly involved. She demanded a court-monitored CBI enquiry and the immediate resignation of Minister for Women and Child Welfare. All India Secular Forum State Convener Dr Mohammed Arif said that the government is curbing freedom of speech in order to hide its own failures. Mahila Jagriti Samiti Convener Suman Devi said that the escalated attacks on dalits and minorities have exposed the true communal-casteist face of the Modi and Yogi governments.
The march was led by Rhythm Convener Anup Shramik and the meeting was conducted by CPI(ML) CC member Com. Manish Sharma.
