Campaign Against State Repression (CASR), Progressive Democratic Students’ Union (PDSU), Punjab Students’ Union, and Farmers Unions have strongly condemned the extensive searches at the residences of student, labour rights and anti-displacement activists.

Groundxero | Dec. 20, 2024

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday conducted extensive searches at the residences of student, labour rights and anti-displacement activists at multiple locations across five states, including Punjab, Haryana, UP, Bihar and Delhi. The early morning raids were reportedly in connection with a related to revival of the banned CPI (Maoist) group in the Northern Regional Bureau (NRB) region.

These raids were conducted in connection with a case registered by NIA’s Lucknow unit in January 2023 (FIR No RC-01/2023), also known as the “Maoist’s NRB Revival case”. The activists targeted in the raids are alleged to be involved in promoting CPI (Maoist) ideology and reviving its influence in the NRB region, comprising UP, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh.

Campaign Against State Repression (CASR), Progressive Democratic Students’ Union (PDSU), Punjab Students’ Union, and Farmers Unions have strongly condemned these NIA raids.

CAMPAIGN AGAINST STATE REPRESSION

PRESS STATEMENT

20 DECEMBER 2024

On the Early morning of 20th December 2024, houses of  labour rights activist Rampal Singh from Manesar General Mazdoor Front in village Gandhar district Sri Muktsar Sahib; Ex-President of Students for Society (SFS) Damanpreet Singh from Patiala; Ajay Kumar-Priyanshu & Jagdish Singh (former General Secretary DGMF) at Okhla Industrial Area from Delhi General Majdoor Front(DGMF); Anti Displacement Activist Shree Ram from Delhi; Bindu Ram, member of Manesar General Mazdoor Sangh from Bhuri Village, Sonipat, Haryana.

Rampal Singh and Bindu Ram are working with Manesar General Majdoor Sangh (MGMS) a trade union organization based in Manesar Gurugram. Three months back on 6th September their organisation’s President Anirudh Rajan was also arrested under UAPA by Special Branch of Bangalore Police when he was going back to his home in Chennai.

During the raids in Rampal Singh’s home, the NIA tried to get a forceful confession from the labour rights activist and his family and threatened them to sign any documents whenever they provided them in the police station. In Delhi, during the raid, the NIA personnel had taken both Ajay Kumar and Priyanshu outside their room in order to get their signatures forcefully on some random confession papers. Also, after the completion of the raid and seizure report they were trying to add some more things in the seizure report which were not found in the raid; neither on them nor in their room.

These raids have been conducted in connection with FIR No RC-01/2023 NIA Lucknow, also known as the “Maoist’s NRB Revival case”. In this very case, NIA has already arrested advocate and Anti Displacement Activist Ajay Kumar, three months ago. Daman Preet Singh, ex-President of Students For Society (SFS) Punjab, who was also interrogated in previous raids in the same case, also had raids at his house near Rajpura, Patiala (Punjab) and he was forced to sign search and seizure documents after multiple things were seized including mobile phones and laptops.

NIA, the Gestapo forces of the Brahminical Hindutva fascist RSS-BJP has been cooking up the “Maoist’s NRB Revival case” or Lucknow Conspiracy Case in an attempt to arrest, threaten and silence dissent. This is a similar attempt as that of Bhima koregaon conspiracy case, in which multiple pro people activists from working class, anti displacement, peasant and cultural people’s movement across the country were falsely implicated and jailed. The same case which has killed father Stan Swamy. We see this same pattern of conspiracy cases being repeated through these raids, search and seizures and arrest of democratic pro-people activists. It is Important to point out that nothing incriminating has been found in the searches but the NIA has seized devices unlawfully, which may be used to incriminate the activists as has been done in Bhima Koregaon Conspiracy Case.  We also know that various courts in the country have stated in various judgements that, it is not a crime under the law to believe in the ideology of Maoism or even being a member of CPI (Maoist). However, various prominent social activists, lawyers, trade union activists and human rights activists are tagged as “over ground workers” of CPI (Maoist) and are kept in jail without trial for years. Thus, the trial itself becomes punishment, snatching away people’s right to life with dignity as well as tearing down all pretext of rule of law. This is an attempt to silence the resistance and fighting voices of the exploited and oppressed masses.

CASR demands an immediate end to the witch-hunt being carried out by NIA across the country in the name of Urban Naxals/OGWs. We demand quashing of the bogus “Maoist’s NRB Revival case and end of harassment of activists in the case. We also urge progressive and democratic organizations to come together and raise voices against NIA’s witch hunting of activists.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), on Friday, also conducted simultaneous raids at the houses of student activists in Punjab, as part of a probe into a 2023 Naxal link case registered in Lucknow (UP).

The NIA raids at the homes of Daman Singh, the leader of Students for Society, and Harvir Kaur, the leader of the Punjab Students Union’s (PSU) Malwa zone, were strongly condemned by the Progressive Democratic Students’ Union (PDSU).

Harvir Kaur is an active PSU leader; her sister works for public organizations, and her mother is employed by the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Sangathan. Because of a case filed against his brother Ram Pal, the raids were conducted.

PDSU Delhi said that by storming the homes of the student leaders, NIA has attempted to incite fear. It accused the central government of harrasing those who speak out against its rulers by taking this step. PDSU called for the immediate repeal of the NIA and the prohibition of any central agency’s direct entry into other states, including Punjab.

The Punjab Students’ Union has also condemned the NIA raids at the residences of student activists. State President of PSU Ranveer Singh Kurr, General Secretary Amandeep Singh Khiowali and Press Secretary Mangaljit Pandori said that the NIA has tried to create terror by raiding the houses of the student leaders. It said “This action is a betrayal of the people who speak against the rulers by the central government. The raids conducted by the central agencies, especially the office in Lucknow, in Punjab are an attack on the federal structure.”

Established in 2009, the NIA was granted further authority by the Modi government in 2019 through a new bill in the Lok Sabha that allows it to act against anyone by designating them as a terrorist, regardless of whether they are in the nation or overseas. It can act in any state, without even notifying the state. In addition, this agency’s court would operate differently and the case would proceed independently, which poses a challenge to the current legal system.

The farm union leaders, on their part, condemned the raids which they said are “meant to intimidate those who dared to question the government’s anti-people policies”.

Protest against NIA raids outside Lakhewali police station in Muktsar district. Photo courtesy Indian Express