Unwarranted? Delhi cops 'pick up' activists involved in relief work in lockdown regime

Yogesh Swamy (middle)

Counterview Desk
On April 16, Yogesh Swamy, an activist involved in relief work in North-East Delhi, was alleged to have been arbitrarily picked by Delhi Police's Special Cell. Yogesh, says a network of students’ and civil rights groups, Yogesh is one of those who has been “picked up and detained from all corners of the city, especially in those areas where protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR) were underway.
Also involved in giving a helping hand to those affected by the February 2020 violence, a statement by the rights group network, Campaign Against State Repression (CASR)*, says, “This is happening despite the lockdown enforced due to the COVID-19 pandemic”, demanding their “immediate and unconditional” release end to the “climate of fear being created by the Delhi Police.”

Text:

The Delhi Police’s Special Cell picked up Yogesh Swamy On April 16 in the most brazen manner. A national vice president of Naujawan Bharat Sabha (NBS) and member of Bigul Mazdoor Dasta, Yogesh was picked up from Karawal Nagar where he has been providing relief to people affected by the February 2020 violence and those suffering from a lack of food and other essential supplies during the ongoing lockdown.
In the name of interrogation, 8 to 9 police personnel, including several plain-clothed officers arrived at the NBS office in Karawal Nagar this afternoon. Yogesh along with several others of NBS had been preparing and distributing food from the NBS office for the last two months. The police upon arrival quickly surrounded Yogesh and before anyone could intervene, he was forced into the police vehicle and taken away.
None of the police officers identified themselves, nor did they provide any reason for wanting to interrogate Yogesh. Also, no information was provided regarding where he was being taken. Police did not even produce a warrant or notice. This is tantamount to abduction.
It must be noted that during the Central government imposed lockdown to contain the corona Virus outbreak, the actions of the Delhi Police have been disgraceful. Instead of providing relief to the countless workers trapped in the city without food or shelter, the Delhi Police has engaged in wanton brutality against workers and the violence affected people of North East Delhi, particularly those who belong to the minority community.
Moreover, the Delhi Police has engaged in systematic targeting of activists and students, many of whom are engaged in indispensable relief work. This is being done on the grounds that they were involved in the protests against the anti-people and communally charged Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Registry of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR) which till less than a month ago had enveloped the entire city.
News reports have indicated that over 800 persons have been arrested following the violence in North East Delhi, the bulk of whom in a mockery of justice are persons from the violence affected minority community and activists involved the protests against the CAA, NRC and NPR. Nonetheless, the Ministry of Home Affairs under Amit Shah has demanded the Delhi Police continue arrests “under any circumstances” despite the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.

The action, instead of helping the people, will further aggravate the dire situation of the lakhs of daily wage workers and their families

Consequently, the Delhi Police is using isolation and immobility caused by the lockdown to target students from Jamia Millia Islamia, members of the Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC), activists and residents of Chand Bagh, Haus Rani, Jamia Nagar, Kardampuri, Khajoori Khas, Khureji Khas, Seelampur, Shaheen Bagh, etc.

Not long ago, all these areas were centres of resistance to the CAA, NRC and NPR. Activists have been harassed via threatening phone calls, called in for interrogation and, in some cases, even taken into custody. Not only are these actions a form of state repression but they increase the risks of a COVID-19 infection.
It is clear that instead of addressing the concerns being raised by the people worst affected by the pandemic and its own criminal complicity in the communal violence, the police are using a humanitarian crisis to further target and silence those who are currently involved in relief work for the worst affected. Their actions, instead of helping the people, will further aggravate the dire situation of the lakhs of daily wage workers and their families who are today bordering on starvation.
The Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) denounces these vile actions of the Delhi Police against the activists from the minority community and progressive organisations and demands the release of all persons arrested in connection with the protests against the CAA, NRC and NPR including Sharjeel Imam, Akhil Gogoi, Khalid Saifi, Soneshwar Narah, Pranab Doley, Meeran Haider and Safoora Zargar among others.

CASR also demands an immediate cessation to all activities of the Delhi Police regarding the targeting of students and activists during the lockdown and the immediate release of Comrade Yogesh Swamy and all such persons detained by the Delhi Police.
---
*Signatories for the Campaign Against State Repression: AISA, AISF, APCR, Bhim Army, Bigul Mazdoor Dasta, BSCEM, CEM, CRPP, CTF, Disha, DISSC, DSU, DTF, IAPL, IFTU, IMK, Karnataka Janashakti, KYS, Lokpaksh, LSI, Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, Mazdoor Patrika, Mehnatkash Mahila Sangathan, Morcha Patrika, NAPM, NBS, NCHRO, Nowruz, NTUI, PDSU, People’s Watch, Rihai Manch, Samajwadi Janparishad, Satyashodak Sangh, SFI, United Against Hate, WSS

Comments

Manufacturing, services: India's low-skill, middle-skill labour remains underemployed

By Francis Kuriakose* The Indian economy was in a state of deceleration well before Covid-19 made its impact in early 2020. This can be inferred from the declining trends of four important macroeconomic variables that indicate the health of the economy in the last quarter of 2019.

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

Incarceration of Prof Saibaba 'revives' the question: What is crime, who is criminal?

By Kunal Pant* In 2016, a Supreme Court Judge asked the state of Maharashtra, “Do you want to extract a pound of flesh?” The statement was directed against the state for contesting the bail plea of Delhi University Professor GN Saibaba. Saibaba was arrested in 2014, a justification for which was to prevent him from committing what the police called “anti-national activities.”

Food security? Gujarat govt puts more than 5 lakh ration cards in the 'silent' category

By Pankti Jog* A new statistical report uploaded by the Gujarat government on the national food security portal shows that ensuring food security for the marginalized community is still not a priority of the state. The statistical report, uploaded on December 24, highlights many weaknesses in implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in state.

Why Indo-Pak relations have been on 'knife’s edge' , hostilities may remain for long

By Utkarsh Bajpai* The past few decades have seen strides being made in all aspects of life – from sticks and stones to weaponry. The extreme case of this phenomenon has been nuclear weapons. The menace caused by nuclear weapons in the past is unforgettable. Images of Hiroshima and Nagasaki from 1945 come to mind, after the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the cities.

Lata Mangeshkar, a Dalit from Devdasi family, 'refused to sing a song' about Ambedkar

By Pramod Ranjan* An artist is known and respected for her art. But she is equally, or even more so known and respected for her social concerns. An artist's social concerns or in other words, her worldview, give a direction and purpose to her art. History remembers only such artists whose social concerns are deep, reasoned and of durable importance. Lata Mangeshkar (28 September 1929 – 6 February 2022) was a celebrated playback singer of the Hindi film industry. She was the uncrowned queen of Indian music for over seven decades. Her popularity was unmatched. Her songs were heard and admired not only in India but also in Pakistan, Bangladesh and many other South Asian countries. In this article, we will focus on her social concerns. Lata lived for 92 long years. Music ran in her blood. Her father also belonged to the world of music. Her two sisters, Asha Bhonsle and Usha Mangeshkar, are well-known singers. Lata might have been born in Indore but the blood of a famous Devdasi family...

'Batteries now cheap enough for solar to meet India's 90% demand': Expert quotes Ember study

By A Representative Shankar Sharma, Power & Climate Policy Analyst, has urged India’s top policymakers to reconsider the financial and ecological implications of the country’s energy transition strategy in light of recent global developments. In a letter dated April 10, 2026, addressed to the Union Ministers of Finance, Power, New & Renewable Energy, Environment, Forest & Climate Change, and the Vice Chair of NITI Aayog, with a copy to the Prime Minister, Sharma highlighted concerns over India’s ambitious plans for coal gasification and the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR).

Beyond Lata: How Asha Bhosle redefined the female voice with her underrated versatility

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The news of iconic Asha Bhosle’s ‘untimely’ demise has shocked music lovers across the country. Asha Tai was 92 years young. Normally, people celebrate a passing at this age, but Asha Bhosle—much like another legend, Dev Anand—never made us feel she was growing old. She was perhaps the most versatile artist in Bombay cinema. Hailing from a family devoted to music, Asha’s journey to success and fame was not easy. Her elder sister, Lata Mangeshkar, had already become the voice of women in cinema, and most contemporaries like Shamshad Begum, Suraiya, and Noor Jehan had slowly faded into oblivion. Frankly, there was no second or third to Lata Mangeshkar; she became the first—and perhaps the only—choice for music directors and all those who mattered in filmmaking. Asha started her musical journey at age 10 with a Marathi film, but her first break in Hindustani cinema came with the film "Chunariya" (1948). Though she was not the first choice of ...

50 years of the Port of Spain miracle: The chase that redefined Indian cricket

By Harsh Thakor* Fifty years ago, India turned the tide to rewrite cricket history, rising from the depths of despair to a moment of enduring glory. Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad, is celebrated among cricket grounds for its poetic beauty. For India, it became a theatre of historic triumph. In 1976, it showed the cricketing world what it was made of.

Search This Blog