15 Dalit activists face sedition charges
Over 15 Dalit farmers, who were booked under sedition charges by the Karnal police, learnt about the case more than a month after the FIR was registered.
The 15 farmers were part of a group of 100 agitators who were demanding the release of 10 other members of the Dalit community who had been booked for murder of an upper caste man in March.
During the protest on April 23, Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee president Ashok Tanwar had also extended his support to the protesters and slammed the BJP government, alleging that incidents of atrocities against Dalits have increased since the BJP government came to power.
On April 26, the Karnal police had registered an FIR against 15 people at Karnal civil lines police station and booked them under Section 124 A (attempts to bring into hatred or contempt towards the government), 147 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 186 (Obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) and other sections of the IPC.
Interestingly, police have booked only those activists who had met the chief minister over the issue during the latter’s visit to Karnal.
“As police did not have information about the others, they booked only the 15 people who met the chief minister and gave their identity to the police,” said Mandeep Singh, member of People's Union for Civil Rights Haryana.
“A few days ago, we came to know that we have been booked for sedition. The police has accused us of blocking the road and raising anti-national slogans,” one of the accused Krishan Kutail told HT.
“We have taken up the issue with Karnal SP Jashandeep Singh Randhawa and he assured us that only the guilty will face action as per their offence,” he said.
Karnal civil lines police station incharge Mohan Lal said, “The FIR was registered as protesters did not end the protest even after the assurance of the chief minister and raised antinational slogans.”
On why the copy of the FIR was not made available online he said, “As the matter was related to the community, we decided to not upload the FIR online. Also the police don’t give a copy of the FIR to the criminal.”