India: Kisan Mazdoor Sabha asks UP gov to release leader, activist

Allahabad, Mar 24 (PTI) The All-India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha (AIKMS) on Tuesday accused the Uttar Pradesh government of abusing people's democratic rights in the name of tackling the coronavirus threat and demanded an immediate release of its general secretary Dr Ashish Mittal and activist Umar Khalid.

In a press release, the organisation alleged that both were arrested to suppress the protest against the CAA-NRC-NPR in Mansoor Park of the city.

Dr Mittal was arrested under the Epidemic Diseases Act 1987.

SP (City) Brijesh Shrivastava said Dr Mittal was arrested on Monday.

The organisation demanded the scrapping of the case against them, alleging that the UP government had made repeated attempts to remove protesters from the site.

The organisation alleged that the administration had issued a notice to Dr Mittal, in which he was asked to get the dharna lifted, otherwise, a legal action was threatened.