Activists on way to Assam not allowed to get down from bus and meet people in Uttar Pradesh 

In yet another bizarre incident, Uttar Pradesh Police stopped a bus carrying activists from different states to Assam and forced them to continue their journey without a break. Section 144 was in force throughout the state, activists were told, and therefore they would not be allowed to get down from the bus or meet people and address even small gatherings.

The activists belonging to relatively small organisations like ‘Khudai Khidmatgar India’ and Socialist party India had organised the Anti-CAA, NRC, NPR Yatra. Beginning from Delhi on February 23 , the Yatra was to conclude in Assam on March 2.

Magasaysay Award winner Sandeep Pandey, Faisal Khan, Kartik Arora, Kripal Mandoli, Suresh Bhai, Dharamveer Singh, advocate Shiva Kumar and Mukhtar Singh were in the bus among 30 people when the Yatra started. As many as 10 of them returned from Aligarh, where the bus was intercepted and the police refused permission for the bus to enter the city.

Police thereafter escorted the bus to Kanpur, where they were briefly allowed to disembark with UP Police keeping a vigil. They were then told that they would not be allowed to get down anywhere in the state and that the police would escort them to the Bihar border. On social media, the activists posted the following account:

· On 23rd Feb, एक्सप्रेस वे टप्पल पर यात्रा को अलीगढ में धारा 144, कह कर रोका गया@संविधान बचाओ नागरिकता बचाओ भारत बनाओ यात्रा@Rajghat,23Feb to Matia Detention Center Assam,2nd March.

· UP Police (Tappal, Aligarh) didn't allows us to enter Aligarh. Yatra is now going to Kanpur via Mathura.

· Faisal Khan wrote in a facebook post: The Yatra reached Apna Ghar Ashram, Kanpur in the heavy presence of Uttar Pradesh Police. During the whole Yatra to Kanpur our bus was made like a mobile detention centre. We cannot even use the washroom on our own will. While reaching the ashram the police authority said that you have under house arrest and not allowed to move outside. Moreover, they are asking us to leave Kanpur early morning. There is no freedom and person liberty to individual in Uttar Pradesh.

· कानपुर में पूरी रात नज़रबंद रखने के बाद सुबह इलाहबाद के लिए निकले पुलिस की गाड़िया साथ है l चाय,पानी टॉयलेट के लिए भी रुकने नहीं दे रहे l अब धारा 144,का बहाना कर के इलाहबाद जाने से इनकार l अभी फतेहपुर आया देखिये क्या होता है l

· While speaking to National Herald, Tahseen Ahmad of Socialist Party of India said, Police have now informed that they would now take us to Bihar instead of Allahabad. They don’t want us to to hold any awareness camp in Uttar Pradesh. We are heading towards Bihar. Lets see what happens.”