‘BJP govt has imposed state of emergency in country’

New Delhi, Feb. 15: The AAP on Monday demanded immediate release of 21-year-old climate activist Disha Ravi, calling it an “extrajudicial abduction”.

Addressing a press conference, AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha said the party condemns Ravi’s arrest.

“The BJP government has imposed a state of emergency in the country. The youth have been speaking strongly, but the BJP does not like the youth, that’s why the 21year-old youth activist has been arrested,” he said. Mr Chadha said the “huge” BJP government, with 300 MPs, is so afraid of the youth activist that they sent Delhi Police to arrest her.

“The BJP government is allergic to the youth of the country. The arrest of Ravi shows this. Her arrest was an extrajudicial abduction,” he said.

“The BJP has put the country under an undeclared emergency. We demand that Ravi must be immediately released,” Mr Chadha said.

He further called upon the youth of the country to unite and raise their voice against the injustices happening in the nation.

Ravi was arrested on Saturday from Bengaluru for allegedly sharing with Greta Thunberg a toolkit related to farmer’’s protest against the Centre’’s three new agriculture laws, police said.

The Delhi Police claimed that Ravi was an editor of the “toolkit Google doc” and “key conspirator” in the document’’s formulation and dissemination.

A graduate in Bachelor of Business Administration, Ravi is also one of the founding members of a group named ‘’’’Fridays For Future India’’’’, police added.

Non-bailable warrants have been issued against advocate Nikita Jacob and activist Shantanu for their alleged involvement in preparing the document. They have also been alleged to be in direct touch with “proKhalistani elements”.

Meanwhile, Social activists and environmentalists called for immediate release of climate activist Disha Ravi asking the government to stop targeting India’s youth.

Activists and environmentalists have condemned the arrest.

Kavita Krishnan, the secretary of All India Progressive Women’s Association, said people like Ravi are India’s best hope because they are concerned about not just themselves, but the future generations.

“We are not behaving like a democracy right now. If we are going to equate protest with conspiracy and organising protests as conspiracy, then you are not a democracy anymore,” she said.

“They should immediately drop this case based upon absolutely flimsy, ridiculous and evil pretext. A toolkit is not sedition, it is not conspiracy, toolkit is for protest,” she added.

Rights activist Shabnam Hashmi also questioned the basis of Ravi’s arrest, saying anybody even doing a local campaign prepares a toolkit.

“We should look at the prime minister's campaign toolkit. We are crossing the limits of absurdity. We will become a laughing stock internationally,” she said.

Sunita Narain, head of the Delhi-based centre for science and environment, also extended her support to the arrested activist.

“We know #climatechange is an existential threat. World desperately needs the passion and commitment of the youth and their loud and strong voice to shake it to more action #FreeDishaRavi," she tweeted.