Gogoi condemns arrest of Pinjra Tod activists in Delhi

Former Congress leader Tarun Gogoi condemned the arrest of activists Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita members of Pinjra Tod by Delhi Police for anti-CAA protests in the national capital and termed it as "political vendetta". Both the women are students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University and Kalita, who is pursuing M.Phil, is from Assam.

Guwahati: Veteran Congress leader Tarun Gogoi on Monday condemned the arrest of two Pinjra Tod activists by Delhi Police for anti-CAA protests in the national capital and termed it as "political vendetta".

Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita were members of Pinjra Tod, a collective of women students and alumni of
colleges across Delhi. They were arrested on Saturday in connection with a protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Jaffrabad area in February.

Both the women are students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University and Kalita, who is pursuing M.Phil, is from Assam.

Gogoi, who is a former chief minister of Assam, wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding that the two women be released immediately.

"You know yourself that great agitations are going on all over the country against CAA and CAA violets the principle of Indian Constitution and also goes against the Assam Accord," he said in the letter.

"We have no doubt this is nothing but political vendetta and attempt to suppress their fundamental right," the
letter read.

The Constitution has given the right to agitate against the decision of the government and the two women did
nothing but exercised their rights, he added.

"The arrest of two girl students by Delhi police is most condemnable... They didn't commit any offence... I
therefore request you to kindly direct Delhi police to release both the students immediately," Gogoi said.

"The two indeed took part in a peaceful agitation in Delhi in February against the CAA but they did not indulge in
violence and did not incite people to violence," he said.

Narwal, a PhD student, and Kalita were granted bail on Sunday, but they were arrested immediately in a separate
murder case linked to Delhi communal riots and a court sent the two to two days of police custody.

(PTI REPORT)