By TCN News,
New Delhi: Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) has strongly condemned the cowardly attack on eminent Human Rights Lawyer Prashant Bhushan by the extremists of so called Shri Ram Sena, Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha and Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena. “This attack should be treated on every citizen of India who favors Freedom of Speech,” said Akhlak Ahmad, Secretary, Delhi Chapter of APCR.
“This is our great concern that attack on Prashant Bhushan is planned and belongs to the same chain which killed Human Rights Lawyer Shahid Azmi, attacked human Rights Lawyers in Uttar Pradesh and other states of the country, attacked Arundhati Roy, S.A.R.Geelani, attacked girls and boys on Valentine Day in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and other states in the country and forced eminent painter M.F. Hussain to leave the country. It is proved that attack on Voice of dissents and freedom of speech is permanent policy of these organizations which preaches hatred, intolerance and violence in Indian community especially among youths resulting to weaken Indian Constitution which provide freedom of speech to each and every citizen of the country,” Ahmad said adding the attack is due to inaction of the Central and State governments on previous attacks by same groups.
“The APCR feels that the current attack is due to the inaction of the Central and State governments on previous matters of the same. The person Tejinder Singh Bagga claiming Office Bearer of Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha was seen disrupting Arundhati Roy’s book release; climbing on the bonnet of the car in which Mirwaiz Umar Farooq… And every time he is escorted off by the Police,” Ahmad said and demanded the “accused should be given harshest possible punishment.”
He also demanded ban on such extremists groups.
“We also asks Central Government to ban these organizations carrying high level enquiry against these Organizations including their Activities, fundings, literature, supporters and Political Godfathers etc. We also urge people of India to socially boycott these goonda elements of the society disguising themselves in religious and national folds,” he demanded in the statement.
A few days back APCR hit national headlines for securing a notice from Supreme Court to Bihar government of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the Forbesganj police firing. The rights group had urged the apex court to issue direction for a CBI probe in the killings. The court has sought reply from the state within four weeks.