Indian police on Tuesday arrested five rights activists for suspected links to Maoist rebels in raids on their homes and offices in several places in the country.
Police also accused the five of delivering speeches that triggered protests and violence between low-caste Dalits and right-wing groups near the western city of Pune in December. The government says Maoist rebels, who are active in several states, are India’s biggest internal security threat.
The rebels, inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, have been fighting the Indian government for more than four decades, demanding land and jobs for tenant farmers, the poor and indigenous communities.
“All these people have a history of working to protect the rights of some of India’s most poor and marginalized people. Their arrests raise disturbing questions about whether they are being targeted for their activism,” Patel said.Amitabh Behar, CEO of Oxfam India, said the government should protect people’s rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly instead of creating an atmosphere of fear.WATCH BELOW: India leaves 4 million people off Assam citizens’ list
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