On July 22, 2023, Varanasi police forcefully ended a 63-day peaceful sit-in at Sarva Seva Sangh, arresting 8 HRDs, including Chandan Pal. The Sarva Seva Sangh, founded in 1948 under Dr. Rajendra Prasad, aimed to propagate Mahatma Gandhi's ideas. Subsequently, on August 12, 2023, the district administration, accompanied by a heavy police force, demolished 20 buildings on the campus.

Violations include arrests without proper memos, failure to inform families of detainees' locations, and bulldozing a Gandhian institution. These actions contradict DK Basu guidelines, Article 19 (1) (b) of the Indian Constitution, Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, and principles of peaceful assembly as per ICCPR.

HRDA urges the National Human Rights Commission to:

• To Direct the Varanasi Commissioner to drop charges against protestors and submit a report within two weeks.
• To Initiate an independent investigation into illegal arrests, report to NHRC within two weeks.
• To Instruct the DGP of Uttar Pradesh to take strict action against involved policemen and submit a report within four weeks.
• To Undertake necessary actions against police officials violating DK Basu guidelines and other laws.
• To Convey concerns to the Government of India and Parliament regarding the demolition of the institution propagating Gandhian thought.