Police Raj In Tamil Nadu? Yogendra Yadav Detained Under Allegedly Forged Order, Released

On Saturday, Yogendra Yadav, the Swaraj India Party leader was detained by the police on his way to a meeting with farmers in Tiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu. Reportedly, Yadav was on a “fact-finding” mission and was holding meetings with farmers regarding the Salem-Chennai expressway project. The police detained Yadav and his party members for more than six hours and allegedly said that they will only be let go on the condition that they will not hold any further meetings.

While we were being stopped and detained pic.twitter.com/yJPlskyE8y

— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) September 8, 2018

Reportedly, around 10 am on Saturday, as Yadav and his party members were en route to Naniyendhal village, they were detained by the police.

"I have given in writing that we will meet farmers' only inside their home which does not violate any law and is my legal constitutional right to do so. The Police still wants to arrest me. In this country it is not the Police Raj but Rule of Law."@_YogendraYadav pic.twitter.com/H9DlNXeH7R

— Swaraj India (@_SwarajIndia) September 8, 2018

“Finally, I have been arrested. My crime: wanting to meet farmers in their homes. Where is the rule of law?” he tweeted.

"हम किसानों से मिलने आये है और मिलकर रहेंगे। आपको जो करना है आप कर सकते है। बस मेने यह कहा और मुझे गिरफ़्तार कर लिया गया। अब किसानों से मिलना भी अपराध है?" : @_YogendraYadav pic.twitter.com/DmeWlnz6y1

— Swaraj India (@_SwarajIndia) September 8, 2018

However, Mr Yadav along with 40 other farmers, was released late on Saturday night, following which the activist held a meeting with the farmers from the village Nammianthel. On Sunday, he and his colleagues left for Karur district.

Finally I did have meeting (in yet another Mandapam!) with women farmers from village Nammianthel that lasted close to midnight.
Released unconditionally.
A small victory for farmers. pic.twitter.com/c6QOt6MU5P

— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) September 8, 2018

More than what meets the eye

Yogendra Yadav was visiting the district on an invitation to meet party representatives and farmer’s families supposedly affected by the land acquisition for the proposed Rs 10,000 project of eight-lane Salem-Chennai expressway. The expressway project has been facing opposition from environmentalists as well as from a section of locals including farmers over the fear of losing their land and livelihood.

TN police has detained me and team in Chengam PS, Thiru Annamalai district. We came on the invitation of Movement Against 8Lane Way.
We were prevented from going to meet farmers, phones snatched, manhandled and pushed into police van.
First hand experience of police state in TN!

— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) September 8, 2018

In a series of tweets, Mr Yadav accused the police of manhandling, snatching phones and pushing into the police van. The police denied the allegations, saying the activist had not sought permission before meeting the farmers. Calling his detainment a Gandhian disobedience, Mr Yadav said the police cannot stop him from visiting the farmers inside their homes.

After his release, he said, “My colleagues and I did not have any plan to organise a public meeting or procession. It was a fact-finding mission to meet farmers at their homes. So I have decided to go ahead with my earlier plan to meet farmers,” as reported by The Indian Express.

My reaction to the illegal order served to me pic.twitter.com/A1kilIYBhU

— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) September 8, 2018

Here is my response to the police order restraining me from meeting farmers.
As a law abiding citizen, it's my duty to defy this illegal order. pic.twitter.com/8FVejcXJO2

— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) September 8, 2018

When police took him into custody, he was reportedly served with a backdated order applying Section 30(2) of the 1861 Police Act which prevents public assembly and procession. Yadav alleged that as the order was not received by any political parties and media, it seemed to be a forged document prepared that day and then backdated.

He said, “Mahatma Gandhi said that obeying an illegal order is unethical. Let the law prevail, I will go ahead.”

DMK president M.K. Stalin and actor-politician Kamal Hassan condemned the action of TN police against the Swaraj India chief. “This act is to be criticized and condemned as it prevents opinions from being shared and is an act of dictatorship,” Kamal Hassan said in a statement. People should have the freedom to express their views he added.

Also Read:

• Activist Piyush Manush Protesting Against Salem Highway Arrested For Alleged “Provocative” Statement
• 570 Farmers Petition Against Salem-Chennai Expressway, Know Why Farmers Are Protesting