BENGALURU: Following Saturday’s incident where anti-India and anti-Indian Army slogans were shouted during an event at United Theological College on Millers Road, more than 50 activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) protested in front of the college on Sunday. As they tried to barge into the college, around 30 activists were detained and released by the police. The ABVP activists, who had protested at the college till 12.30 am on Saturday, continued the protests on Sunday noon.
They demanded the immediate arrest of those who raised anti-India slogans during the event – ‘Broken Families’ – organised by the Amnesty International India.The activists, who painted the college name board black, tried to storm into the college around 2 pm, shouting slogans against the organisers, participants and college authorities. The police, who were deployed in large numbers, stopped the activists from entering the college, detained more than 30 of them and dispersed the crowd. Those who were detained were released around 5.30 pm. MP Pratap Simha also took part in the protest for sometime and demanded action against the organisers and participants. Meanwhile, the JC Nagar police have not registered an FIR in connection with a case filed by the ABVP activists on Saturday night, seeking action against the organisers, participants and the college authorities. The police have received a video of the event and are analysing it. Top officials are consulting with legal experts on the cases that could be invoked against the organisers and those who took part in the event.
“The slogans shouted by some participants were anti-national and insulting in nature to the Indian Army. Though it amounts to sedition, the police have not registered an FIR,” an ABVP activist alleged.
DCP (North) T.R. Suresh, however, said that they are verifying the complaint and analysing the video shot on mobile phones. “We will register an FIR if the allegations are true and have substantial evidence,” he said. Statement by organisers Amnesty International India stated that it had organised the event as part of a campaign to seek justice for victims of human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The event, which was conducted on the premises of the United Theological College, involved discussions with families from Kashmir – featured in Amnesty International India’s report ‘Denied’ from July 2015 – who had traveled to Bengaluru to narrate their personal stories of grief and loss. Amnesty International India also invited representation from the Kashmiri Pandit community in Bengaluru to speak about the human rights violations faced by members of the community. Towards the end of the event, some of those who attended raised slogans, some of which referred to calls for ‘Azaadi’ (freedom),” the release stated.
“It is important that media attention to the conduct of some of those who attended the event not serve as a distraction from the important issues of the denial of truth and justice to those who have suffered in Jammu and Kashmir,” said Tara Rao, Programmes Director, Amnesty International India.
