India Tomorrow
NEW DELHI—Welfare Party of India (WPI) president Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas and several of his party workers were detained for more than five hours on Tuesday when they were proceeding for Jantar Mantar to hold a protest against the arrest of Teesta Setalvad, RB Sreekumar and Javed Mohammad.
The party had taken police permission for the protest. However, the police last evening cancelled the permission and informed the party leaders. But the party leaders yet decided to organize the protest because they felt that the action of the police amounted to crushing freedom and human rights of the people.
When some workers of the party came out of the party’s office Abul Fazal Enclave at around 11 am today and wanted to board a vehicle for Jantar Mantar, some policemen forced them into a waiting police vehicle and drove them to the Shaheen Bagh Metro Station.
Speaking to mediapersons, Dr. Ilyas said that when he came to know, he immediately went to the venue where his party workers were taken in Shaheen Bagh. When he reached there along with other party leaders and workers, they were also detained. All of them were then taken to the Kalka Ji police Station. Meanwhile, other WPI workers, who had reached Jantar Mantar were also detained. Police told them that their permission had been cancelled and protest demonstration would not be allowed. They were also taken to the Kalka Ji Police Station.
Dr. Ilyas said that the Narendra Modi government wanted to silence the voices of dissent. However, he vowed that WPI would oppose the repressive policies of the government and continue its fight for justice for the oppressed and weaker sections of the society.
