Writer and theatre artist Kamal C Chavara, who was detained by Kozhikode police recently over allegations of "insulting the national anthem" began hunger strike on Monday.
Kamal began the hunger strike at the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital, where he got himself admitted to on Sunday, after he was let off by the Karunagapally police in Kollam.
The hunger strike, Kamal said, was in response to the arrest of his friend Nadeer Gul Mohammed, who was detained by police over suspected Maoist links.
“Police arrested Nadi, while he went to get food for me. I have started hunger strike, until the case against him is withdrawn and Pinarayi Vijayan conduct discussions with human rights activists,” Kamal wrote on Facebook.
Police say that Nadeer had distributed Maoist pamphlets among people. But activists maintained that Nadeer was completely against Maoism that he had openly criticised Maoism many a time on social media.
Kamal was charged with 124 A of the IPC for sedition on the basis of a complaint filed by Yuva Morcha, the BJP Youth Wing, in Karunagapally.
In the complaint, it was alleged that Kamal insulted the National Anthem in his book “Smashanangalude Notupusthakam” and also in many of his Facebook posts.
Later he was detained by Kozhikode police and handed over to Karunagapally police for questioning. After interrogation, he felt uneasiness and was shifted to hospital.