Political activists not allowed to meet Modi, hold protest

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 21

Various social and political activists were taken into custody in Dehradun this morning after they were trying to hold a rally, seeking an audience with the Prime Minister in support of their demand for the tribal status to Uttarakhand.

Led by former Congress president Kishore Upadhyay, social and political leaders criss-crossing party ideologies gathered at Gandhi Park in Dehradun around 5.30 in the morning. After garlanding the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, they proceeded in a group towards the Forest Research Institute, the venue of the International Yoga Day celebrations. But the already vigilant police prevented the staging of the rally and took them under custody at Clock Tower. 

Besides, Upadhyay, among those arrested prominently included CPI state secretary Samar Bhandari, Samajwadi Party state president Prof SS Sachan, Congress spokesman Mathura Dutt Joshi and state agitation activist Jaiprakash Uttarakhandi.  Those arrested were taken to the Police Lines and were subsequently released on personal bond. 

  Later, Kishore Upadhyay described the International Yoga Day celebrations as nothing but waste of money. He said while money had been wasted, the precious time of the entire administrative machinery was spent on the event. He also accused the Prime Minister of being insensitive for not sparing even a few minutes for them.

  Upadhyay asserted that they would continue to work to protect the rights of people of Uttarakhand. He yet again sought the tribal status for Uttarakhand asserting that the state, whose maximum of land area is under forests, genuinely deserved this status. 

“We only wanted to submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister. But the Prime Minister has no time for us”, Upadhyay observed.