NEW DELHI: Dalit leaders from across the country will be gathering here on Tuesday to demand that National Security Act (NSA) slapped on Bhim Army leader Chandra Shekhar be lifted by the state government.
Chandra Shekhar was slapped with NSA exactly a month ago, soon after he was granted bail by the Allahabad high court, purportedly for inciting violence in UP's Sahranpur district.
Shiv Kumar Pradhan, who is the village head of Shabirpur village, has also been held under the NSA and dalit leaders are demanding lifting of serious charge registered against him. Bhim Army activist from Saharanpur Kamal Walia will also be present.
Dalit leaders from about 15 states are assembling in the national Capital for a conference where they will take a resolution to put pressure on the state government to lift the NSA slapped on the young dalit leader.
They will also take a delegation to Union home minister Rajnath Singh during the Winter Session of Parliament if the state government fails to resolve the "injustice that has been meted out to him".
"If the government does not yield, we will declare a country-wide protest for a day against the misuse of NSA against Chandra Shekhar and Pradhan. NSA is not meant to be used against people who take up a cause, it is for terrorists," said dalit activist Ashok Bharti.
The dalit leaders hope that the Centre will intervene if the UP government does not give in to their "legitimate" demands, as NSA was slapped after the courts granted bail. But if the issue is not resolved soon, then the dalit leaders across the country will hit the streets and take their movement forward. Simultaneously, the daily leadership that will meet here will also plan on fighting the issue legally.
Both dalit and minority leaders will attend the conference and also work on furthering dalit-minority unity.
Dalit activist from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, UP, Punjab and some other states will be attending the conference, where Chandra Shekhar's mother and Bhim Army activist from Saharanpur Kamal Walia will also be present.
The dalit leaders will also revisit the dalit and minority issues like that of Rohith Vemula (Hyderabad), Balubhai Sarvaiya (Pune), Pehlu Khan and Delta Meghwal (Rajasthan) among others.
Chandra Shekhar was slapped with NSA exactly a month ago, soon after he was granted bail by the Allahabad high court, purportedly for inciting violence in UP's Sahranpur district.
Shiv Kumar Pradhan, who is the village head of Shabirpur village, has also been held under the NSA and dalit leaders are demanding lifting of serious charge registered against him. Bhim Army activist from Saharanpur Kamal Walia will also be present.
Dalit leaders from about 15 states are assembling in the national Capital for a conference where they will take a resolution to put pressure on the state government to lift the NSA slapped on the young dalit leader.
They will also take a delegation to Union home minister Rajnath Singh during the Winter Session of Parliament if the state government fails to resolve the "injustice that has been meted out to him".
"If the government does not yield, we will declare a country-wide protest for a day against the misuse of NSA against Chandra Shekhar and Pradhan. NSA is not meant to be used against people who take up a cause, it is for terrorists," said dalit activist Ashok Bharti.
The dalit leaders hope that the Centre will intervene if the UP government does not give in to their "legitimate" demands, as NSA was slapped after the courts granted bail. But if the issue is not resolved soon, then the dalit leaders across the country will hit the streets and take their movement forward. Simultaneously, the daily leadership that will meet here will also plan on fighting the issue legally.
Both dalit and minority leaders will attend the conference and also work on furthering dalit-minority unity.
Dalit activist from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, UP, Punjab and some other states will be attending the conference, where Chandra Shekhar's mother and Bhim Army activist from Saharanpur Kamal Walia will also be present.
The dalit leaders will also revisit the dalit and minority issues like that of Rohith Vemula (Hyderabad), Balubhai Sarvaiya (Pune), Pehlu Khan and Delta Meghwal (Rajasthan) among others.
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