A day after Delhi Police arrested a 21-year-old Bengaluru activist, Disha Ravi, and charged her with sedition, Bengaluru based activists staged a protest in solidarity with her in the city.
The lowkey protest which took off in the evening at Mysore Bank Circle soon became a teeming crowd of activists who accused the Delhi police of targeting Ravi.
Young people carrying placards saying “Free India’s Daughters” and “Free Disha, Free Democracy”, among many others, filled Bengaluru’s streets on Monday, adding more weight to the demand for Disha’s immediate release.
“Sedition charge against 21-year-old Disha Ravi is the direct repercussion of her fight for environment and her courage to stand with Indian farmers,” a release issued by the protesters read.
Meanwhile, Bangalore police officers confirmed to The Quint that Delhi Police had informed “a judicial officer” of the arrest.
Background
A 21-year-old climate activist, Disha Ravi, had come under the scanner in recent days over a toolkit on farmers’ protest that was shared by international climate activist Greta Thunberg, who said it could help the ongoing protest.
With certain pro-government Twitter handles and even Union ministers alleging that the toolkit was proof of a global conspiracy against India, the Delhi Police on 13 February arrested Ravi from Bengaluru on charges of "sharing and spreading" the toolkit.
The Delhi Police’s statement claimed that Ravi was a "co-conspirator" in the document's formulation and "in this process" collaborated with "pro-Khalistani Poetic Justice Foundation to spread disaffection against the Indian State.”
Breaking down in a Delhi court, before which she was produced on Sunday, Ravi denied being part of any conspiracy and said “I was just supporting farmers.” She added that she didn’t create the toolkit, and just made two edits to it.
Ravi was sent to five-day police custody on Sunday.
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