After 146 activists including students and retired professors were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for alleged links with banned CPI(Maoist) has enraged several scholars and triggered a debate all across the state.
The National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM), a forum known for launching social movements, has sent a letter to the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, for the unrest that is being caused due to this decision, according to IANS.
The NAPM had stated that invoking FIR under the provision of UAPA is a disturbing development and called for his immediate intervention. In a 52-page FIR, the Tadvai police registered a case against 152 persons under several sections including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
In the copy it has been mentioned that the Tadvai Police said that on August 19, 2022, the complainant policeman V Shankar was stationed at the Pasra Circle when he received some information on the alleged congregation of banned CPI (Maoist) members.
Do they belong to the banned group?
The original FIR had framed 152 persons but later on, the department had dropped charges against six of them. The NAPM had stated that the remaining are lawyers, educationists, activists, trade union leaders, students, retired professors, cultural workers and also members from women's groups.
The organisation had urged Chief Minister Rao to close the FIR immediately in the jurisdictional court and release all accused persons who are arrested under this FIR. It has also called to dismiss all the previous cases where UAPA has been invoked without any substantial proof and has given no protection to these activists and social groups.
The organisations also urged to stop "subduing" of activists and social movements in Telangana. It also demanded the withdrawal of the UAPA Act.
The Congress state unit also criticised the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government and urged it for closure of cases against all the 146 activists.
"They are not criminals. They are social activists," the party maintained.
