THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CPI-ML (Red Star) general secretary K.N. Ramachandran who was released earlier, was taken away from Howrah railway station on Sunday allegedly by West Bengal police, and forcibly put on a train forcing him out of West Bengal on Monday. P.J. James, politburo member of CPI-ML Red Star told this newspaper on Monday that Ramachandran called one of their comrades based in Mumbai at 7.30 pm and told him that he was put on a train going to Delhi.
“The intelligence people didn’t return his cellphone and he made a call from another person’s phone. They told him not to visit Bengal again and participate in the farmers’ agitation.” James said according to information received by them, on reaching Howrah station he was taken to an undisclosed location and blindfolded. After keeping him in detention for more than 24 hours, he was forcibly put on a train going out of West Bengal. Ramachandran travelled from Lucknow to Howrah to express solidarity with the people and the CPI (ML) Red Star comrades who are resisting imposition of a power grid at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district.
James said though Ramachandran’s cellphone was taken away, it was not switched off and remained active during the entire detention period. The CPIML (Red Flag) leader condemned the alleged undemocratic and fascist act of the intelligence. “We will intensify our campaign against the police action. There is no freedom to travel, no rule of law. Is it a police state,” he asked. Earlier, CPI-ML (Red Star) had planned to file a habeas corpus petition in Calcutta High Court to seek the whereabouts of Mr. Ramachandran. Public intellectual and social activist T N Joy sought Kerala government’s intervention to trace the CPI-ML (Red Flag) leader.
