Ranchi, Aug 30: Social activist Stan Swami, whose residence was raided along with other Left-wing activists by Pune Police on Tuesday, alleged that the government was silencing those who were working for the marginalised and voiceless sections of the society.
He also condemned the arrest of five prominent Left-wing activists by the Pune Police during raids in several states on August 28.
The raids were carried out as part of a probe into the violence between Dalits and upper caste Peshwas near Pune after ‘Elgar Parishad’ event on December 31 last year.
“I condemn the blatant violation of democratic rights of the social activists; the government is silencing the people who are working for the poor, the marginalised and voiceless of the society,” Swami said in a statement yesterday.
“All the human rights activists targeted in this multi-city operation by the police…have stood for the principles of human rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution and the international standards on human rights,” he said.
He also demanded dropping of all “false cases” against them and called upon the National Human Rights Commission to intervene and ensure the release of the activists who are under house arrest following an order of the Supreme Court.
About the raid in his own house, Swami said, “I still do not know exactly the basis on which the raid was conducted. If there is an FIR, that too from Pune, I have not seen its contents”.
If the Maharashtra Police is trying to implicate me in an incident that happened in Pune, I was not present in Pune, he said.
Swami said he has been working for Adivasi issues, especially among the Adivasis in Jharkhand.
