CPI(M) General Secretary, Prakash Karat, has written a letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav on October 18 seeking the release of those arrested in Meerut on the false charges of rape. The following is the full text of the letter. I WRITE to draw your attention to the Meerut case in which a personal relationship between two consenting adults who happen to belong to different religious communities was converted into a criminal matter of rape and forcible conversion by Hindutva organisations. These organisations manipulated and used some members of the woman's family for their nefarious game. It is shocking that along with these organisations the BJP was also involved in the crime of false and communal propaganda aimed at creating enmity between two communities. The young woman has now given her statement before the magistrate in which she has clarified the facts of her consensual relationship and that she was pressurised by her family members who in turn were being used by the Hindutva forces even reportedly bribed by them, to make false charges of gang-rape and forcible conversion against Kaleem the person she was involved with and others. At present ten people are in jail. They are: Kaleem, Nawab (pradhan of the village), Madarsa Hafiz Sanaullah and his wife Samarjahan, Nishat d/o Hashmat, Gul Munawwar, Habib Razi, Shanu and Naveen. They are innocent of the crimes they have been accused of. There was no victim except the Constitution of India. In these circumstances, it is essential to take immediate steps to release the innocent men and women from jail. It is also necessary to punish those who are responsible for the false propaganda and communal frenzy in the name of "love jihad." While the young woman has declared her intention to marry Kaleem, some of the Hindutva organisations have dared to threaten her and have declared they will not "allow" such a marriage. The father of the woman is also being threatened again. This is absolutely intolerable and a challenge to the law and to the Constitution. I urge you to act firmly and swiftly to punish these men who must be taught the secular laws of India. I request you also to provide security to the woman and on their release to the others.