EXPRESSING strong protest and condemnation of the actions of the Sikar police on August 28, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury has written a letter to Ashok Gehlot, chief minister of Rajasthan on August 30.  In an unprecedented action, hordes of uniformed policemen illegally entered the office of the CPI(M), arrested former MLAs and CPI(M) leaders Amra Ram and Pema Ram and dragged out scores of others who were in the office. Subsequently, while Amra Ram was released, Pema Ram was taken into custody and had to apply for bail which was granted to him the following day in court.

The police dared to enter the CPI(M) office without any warrant in a display of aggressive lawlessness. Yechury said this is totally unacceptable and requested the chief minister to take urgent action against those responsible.

“I have also learnt that the police dealt in a brutal way with young men and women students who were peacefully demonstrating against what they consider was a manipulation of the results of a women’s college. Young women were manhandled by male police. Press photographs and videos show the extent of the brutality leading to several students suffering fractures,” Yechury said and hoped the CM would take immediate action against those responsible.