CONGRESS SLAMS IYC LEADERS’ ARREST, CALLS IT CRIMINALISATION OF DISSENT

Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi says dissent is a constitutional right and not sedition.

- ANAND SINGH

Abhishek M. Singhvi, CWC Member and AICC Spokesperson, addresses a press conference at Congress Office, in New Delhi on Thursday. (ANI Photo/Jitender Gupta)

(ANI Photo/Jitender Gupta)

Following the arrest of Indian Youth Congress chief Uday Bhanu Chib and several other workers, the Congress on Thursday expressed “deep concern” over criminal charges levelled against individuals participating in a peaceful political protest, asserting that no evidence of violence, property damage or threat to public safety had emerged and dubbed it as criminalisation of dissent.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here Congress leader and Rajya sabha member Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, “This is criminalisation of dissent.”

“The characterisation of the incident as one involving organised violence, sinister intent, or premeditated wrongdoing is not borne out by the factual matrix presently available in the public domain, and raises serious questions of fairness, neutrality, and equal application of law”, he said.