Modi Govt rapped for intellectuals’ arrest

Under the aegis of the Utkala Bikasha Juba Parisada, a meeting was held condemning the illegal arrest of five intellectuals fighting for rights of the poor and demanding their immediate release.

Journalist Priya Ranjan Sahu chaired the meeting. Speaking on the occasion, former Director General of Police Amiya Bhushan Tripathy criticised the Narendra Modi Government for its intolerance towards people with different opinion. Curbing the right to expression and suppressing different voices is just like undeclared emergency, he told.

Professor Birendra Nayak appealed to the students and youths to be prepared for facing the challenges of tyranny in the present dispensation.

INTACH member Anil Dhir described how new adjectives like Lipstard (lip and bastard together) are used for those who are using lips or delivering speech opposing the misdeeds of the Government.

Green Nobel winner environmentalist Prafulla Samantara branded the police action against the five intellectuals as Facism.

 Trade union leader and writer Souribandhu Kar described the police action as a curse on Indian democracy.

Among others, Parisad president Debiprasad Prusti, poet Kedar Mishra, Lohia Academy secretary Debaprasad Ray Mohapatra, advocate Prahllad Sinha, journalist Pradosh Patnaik, Manoranjan Naik,  RTI activists Pradipta Nayak, Pradip Pradhan, Sk Abdul Wali, Bijay Parida, Congress leader Ashok Samal, Bismaya Mohapatra, Tusharkanta, Gobinda Chandra Mahunta, Sricharan Behera, Baidhara Pradhan,Akhila Nayak, Sukanta Sahu, Dipak Naik and Manas Pattnaik spoke.

A resolution condemning the arrest and demanding immediate release was sent to the Supreme Court and its copies were sent to the President of India and the Prime Minister.