An online petition has been started seeking the release of Shashidhar Venugopal, who was arrested on charges of sedition for allegedly instigating the Karnataka constabulary to protest.

Nayana Shashidhar started the Change.org petition a week ago seeking the release of her father Shashidhar, who was arrested in the “most dramatic, inhuman and in my opinion illegal way”. So far, 353 people have signed it.

She said in the petition that about 30 police personnel arrived around midnight on June 2. Shashidhar was booked under Section 124A (sedition) of the IPC and has been in Bengaluru Central Prison since. Nayana alleged that the “people in power” were using “all possible tactics” to ensure that he was not granted bail.

She said: “IS VOICING/ STANDING UP AGAINST INJUSTICE AN ANTINATIONAL ACT? Please note that the cause that he had been fighting for (better living conditions, respect and salary ) was supported by the whole state and have been taken care of by the government which depicts that the demands were not unreasonable or antinational !”

She added that her family was being subjected to “continuous threats and harassments by the system”.