V S Krishna & K Bhaskar

Activists and Human Rights Defenders

Andhra Pradesh

HRDA has issued an urgent appeal to the National Human Rights Commission of India on September 18, 2019, regarding registration of case for organising a meeting in protest of abrogation of Article 370 against human rights defenders Mr. V S Krishna & Mr. K Bhaskar as well as religious leader Mr. Mohammed Abzal, at Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. Mr. V S Krishna  is the Member of the State Coordination Committee of Human Rights Forum , a civil rights organisation and Mr. K Bhaskar, a member of Progressive Democratic Students Union.

On September 8, 2019, Sunday, activists from Human Rights Forum held a meeting in Shadi Manzil, Nellore on the theme of deliberating about the abrogation of Article 370, and the alleged human rights violations that take place in Kashmir. Less than a week ago, Human Rights Forum had also been denied permission by the police to hold a meeting on Article 370 in Adoni and Kurnool, in Kurnool district, on the apprehension that it may disturb public peace. However, on September 8, 2019, the police was approached by a group led by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) local President Mr. Bellamkonda Malyadri, with the allegation that the activists of provoking the people and disrupting peace in the region by spreading false narratives and attempting to incite violence. The organisers denied there was any attempt to disturb peace and accused BJP leaders of filing police complaints to stifle opposing voices.

As per the complaint, the Kavali police have filed a case under Sections 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief), 153(A) (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race) read with Section 34 of IPC (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) against activists Mr. Krishna, Mr. Bhaskar and Mr. Abzal, a religious leader and others for organising the meeting.