Sotinkumar freed, vows to carry on fight
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 14 2020:
CPI Manipur State Council secretary L Sotinkumar who has been released from jail today has vowed to carry on different modes of agitation until the Citizenship Amendment Act is scrapped.
Speaking at a reception function held in his honour at Irabot Bhavan here this afternoon, Sotinkumar decried that the way the Government arrested and detained many people who protested against CAA smacked of fascism.
He asserted that the CAA is communal.
As a part of the country-wide protest called by Left parties on December 19 last year, Left parties called general strike on the same day in Manipur.
"Ahead of the general strike, I appealed to all the people to support the general strike but I did not say or do anything harmful", Sotinkumar said.
After the announcement of the general strike, police exerted strong pressure on Left parties to abort the general strike.
After December 17, police started detaining leaders of Left parties.
Nonetheless, people supported the general strike en masse and it turned out to be a big success, he said.
Neither CPI nor other Left parties carried out any act of violence during the general strike.
Nonetheless, 16 comrades of CPI who took part in a peaceful sit-in at Nambol Keithel were pulled up and detained in lock-up for the whole night.
This was a direct attempt of the BJP-led Government to suppress the people's right to freedom of expression.
CPI could not tolerate such authoritarian attitude of the Government, Sotinkumar said.
He recalled that he was re-arrested even after Court had granted bail by invoking sedition charges.
He was granted bail by Judicial Magistrate Ist Class, Bishnupur district yesterday before he was released from jail today after furnishing surety bond and PR bond of Rs 30,000 .