Chennai: In the wake of the arrest of left-wing party leaders in Delhi, leftists across Tamil Nadu have been called upon to hold protest demonstrations in district headquarters on behalf of the party.
In this regard, the state secretaries of the Left parties, P. Shanmugam (CPM), M. Veerapandian (CPI), and Pazha. Asai Thambi (CPM-L), issued a joint statement: A protest had been called at Jantar Mantar in Delhi by the Bharatiya Janata Party, demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar from office. Left parties and mass organizations had expressed support for this protest. In this situation, Delhi Police and paramilitary forces under the Central government have unleashed severe repression in the Jantar Mantar area.
Protesters have been arrested one by one to prevent them from gathering. 254 trains to Delhi have been canceled. 54 metro stations have been closed. 35,000 police personnel have been deployed. The Supreme Court’s directive that there is a right to hold protests peacefully was not heeded. Leaders including Marxist Communist Party General Secretary M.A. Baby and Indian Communist Party General Secretary D. Raja have also been arrested.
Such attacks, staged as the height of anti-democracy, are strongly condemnable. Condemning this repression and arrest, and demanding the removal of Gnaneshkumar, calls are being made for immediate protest demonstrations by left parties at district headquarters across Tamil Nadu.