TN Police Arrests ABVP’s National General Secretary, 35 Others For Holding Protests

ABVP’s National general secretary Nidhi Tripathi, National Secretary Shri Muthu Ramalingam along with 34 other members have been taken into custody by the Tamil Nadu Police. They were holding protests to demand justice for Lavanya, a student who was forced to commit suicide due to conversion pressure at Sacred High School in Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu, outside the CM’s residence. The police held that the students were protesting without prior permissions and that these amounted to ‘security breach’.

In response to Tamil Nadu Police hamhandedness and manhandling of ABVP office bearers inclduing its general secretary Nidhi Tripathi, ABVP organized a nationwide protest on Tuesday. Meanwhile, ABVP members who demonstrated against the police brutality across the country, were detained by state police forces.

In Bhopal, Police took more than 100 student activists including the National Secretary of ABVP Gajendra Singh Tomar and State Secretary, Madhyabharat Prant Shalini Verma, under preventive custody.

In Jammu & Kashmir, More than 50 ABVP activists, who were peacefully protesting to demand speedy justice to Lavanya, were detained by the Police.

In Jalandhar, Police Lathicharged on protesting activists who were demanding Justice for Lavanya, a +2 student who had allegedly commited suicide as she could not sustained bullying to convert to Christianity,

Meanwhile, The Student Organization has been holding protests to demand just Lavanya. It alleged that the incident (arrests) proves that M.K Stalin government is insensitive and callous in its attitude towards students. In a release issued to the media, it said: “ABVP karyakartas who were peacefully protesting in front of Cheif Minister Stalin’s house for seeking justice for Lavanya, a student who was forced to commit suicide due to conversion pressure at Sacred High School in Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu, were treated brutally by the police and the National General Secretary of ABVP Nidhi Tripathi, National Secretary Muthu Ramalingam along with scores of karyakartas were arrested”.

 

ABVP stated that “The insensitivity of the state government in the matter is demonstrated by the fact that the government had filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the order of the CBI inquiry by the Madras High Court. But the Supreme Court, while dismissing the petition and upholding the High Court’s decision, ordered the case to be handed over to the CBI. This has given hope to the youth fighting for justice for Lavanya.”

 

The National Secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, Gajendra Tomar said, “The Tamil Nadu government and administration are doing everything they can to suppress the case of Lavanya’s suicide, but every ABVP worker is committed to fighting till Lavanya gets justice. The State Government, to hide its mistake and misdeeds of missionaries, did not fail to disobey the order of the Hon’ble High Court.

 

In a video, upon being asked why Tripathi is holding protest, despite the Supreme Court’s verdict, she can be seen responding, “Yes, but now the government is not cooperating with the CBI. They are also not cooperating with the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). Why aren’t they cooperating? They have to cooperate with both NCPCR and CBI.