The All India Lawyers' Association for Justice held a protest in Bengaluru on Wednesday, September 28, seeking the release of all political prisoners and scrapping of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) and the National Security Act (NSA). The association also called for immediate and quality medical care for all political prisoners including academician Vernon Gonsalves, former professor GN Saibaba and human rights activist Gautam Navlakha.
"The protesting sites in the city are shrinking day by day and this has no place in the constitution. In any democracy, the most fundamental right is the right to dissent and now if we're not allowed to do that, it goes against the constitution and aspirations of freedom fighters. I don't think any of the freedom fighters such as BR Ambedkar or Gandhiji would have imagined that 75 years after independence, you don't have the right to protest," advocate and activist Maitreyi Krishnan said, while speaking at the protest gathering.
Criticising the misuse of the three laws, the advocates who had gathered for the protest said that the law should have been invoked against the murderers of prominent activists. "The law would have been useful if it had been used correctly, but it is being used to curb dissent. UAPA should have been slapped against those who killed Kalburgi, Gauri Lankesh, Justice Loya, and Hemant Karkare," Khizar Alam, an activist said.
"It is shocking that 14 criminals who murdered and raped Bilkis Bano were released on Independence Day. Is this what independence means? Anyone who raises issues about Muslims is slapped with UAPA and put behind bars," another activist Nasreen said.
The lawyers association also proposed to have an event in Delhi, inviting family, friends, and comrades of political prisoners and their lawyers to share their experience of having loved ones in prison, and fighting for them in court.