Afsal Rahman | India Tomorrow

NEW DELHI, JANUARY 21—Hitting out at the Uttar Pradesh police, senior advocate of the Supreme Court Prashant Bhushan has alleged that UP police have become the “biggest organised gang of communal criminals in the country” and the “Supreme Court of India has collapsed completely”.

He levelled the allegations while addressing media persons at a press conference at the Press Club of India organised by Rihai Manch on Tuesday, after the release of Rihai Manch president Mohammed Shoaib on court orders after a month of his imprisonment for protesting against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

Bhushan commented on UP police quoting an earlier judgement of Justice AN Mulla stating that the police force is the biggest organised gang of criminals in the country. Stretching it further, Bhushan alleged that “UP Police is the biggest organised gang of communal criminals in the country”. He accused the UP police of being communal because of its brutal action against Muslim protesters against CAA in Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Bijnor, Aligarh, Lucknow and Varanasi.

Commenting on the current situation in the country, the senior advocate said that the country was facing a situation which was more horrible than that during Emergency in 1975.

Stating that the silence of judiciary in the country is alarming, Bhushan alleged that “the Supreme Court of India has collapsed completely".

Hopeful of the emerging protests across the country, he said “Kagaz Nahi dikhayenge” (We won't show papers) has become the slogan of the movement.

Adv Mohammed Shoaib, President of Rihai Manch, accused the government of Uttar Pradesh under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of playing revenge politics.

"I was mentally tortured by the UP police after the arrest. They even questioned me about Rajiv Yadav. I have serious doubts on the intentions of the UP police, that they want to kill Rajiv Yadav," he alleged

 
Shoaib, who is in his 70s,  alleged that their activist Robin Verma has been sacked from the college where he was teaching and that the police is trying to frame their organisation. Rihai Manch has been raising crucial questions on the police's version during the killings of Dalits, Muslims, and OBC youth in encounters under their 'Thok-Do' policy.

Mr Hartosh Bal, Political Editor, The Caravan, Mr Anil Chamadia, Senior Journalist, Mr Rajeev Yadav, General Secretary, Rihai Manch, were also present at the press conference.