India: Letter to Chief Election Commissioner by Gujarat President of Socialist Party (India) [Nov 2, 2022]

Socialist Party (India)

Dated: 2 November, 2022

To: Chief Election Commissioner
Nirvachan Sadan
New Delhi

Subject: Socialist Party (India) not allowed to take out padyatra on the issue of Bilkis Bano in Gujarat whereas Bhartiya Janata Party trying to take advantage of communal polarization by releasing the convicts.

Respected Sir,

(1) When Socialist Party (India) tried to organize a padyatra from Randhikpur in Dahod district to Ahmedabad between 26 September and 4 October, 2022, the padyatris were detained twice on 25 September in Godhra and on 26 Septemer in Kheda district and then brought in police vehicles to Ahmedbad scuttling our plan to meet and have a dialogue with common people on the issue of Bilkis Bano.

(2) In Ahmedabad when Sandeep Pandey, General Secretary of Socialist Party (India), tried to sit on fast in spite of writing to the Police Commissioner we did not hear from him and permission was denied by Rakhiyal police station. Similarly, SP, Gandhinagar did not reply and Sandeep Pandey was not allowed to sit at Satyagrah Chavni, the designated place for holding demonstrations, by the local intelligence personnel.

(3) The BJP on the other hand by prematurely releasing 11 convicts, in the gang rape case of Bilkis Bano and killing of her 14 family members, through an order of the Home Ministry (No. 15/05/2022-JC-II, Dated 11 July, 2022, marked Confidential/Most Immediate) is tryng to take advantage of communal polarization before the Gujarat Assembly elections. This is clear from the manner in which 11 convicts were garlanded and offered laddoos after coming out of Godhra Sub-jail on 15 August this year.

We register our strong protest for violation of our fundamental rights of freedom of expression and movement as well as the right of a political party to raise an important issue concerning safety and dignity of women and law and order.

We request you to institute an enquiry into why we, as a political party registered with the ECI, were not allowed to take out our padyatra and why Home Ministry decided to prematurely release the convicts timing it before Gujarat elections. The guilty in both cases must be punished.

Sincerely,

Amita Buch
President, Socialist Party (India), Gujarat
Mobile No.: 9925039160, e-mail: amitabuch[at]gmail.com

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Socialist Party (India)
Socialist Party (India), Lohia Bhawan
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Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226001
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