Journo among nine held for undertaking 'padyatra' against CAA

Nine people including a Delhi based woman journalist who were on a 'padyatra' (foot march) against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, were arrested by the police in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur district, about 375 kilometre from here.

According to sources, the cops arrested them at the Birno area in the district on Tuesday evening after booking them for the apprehension of breach of peace and undertaking the foot march without prior permission.

The 'padaytra' had started from Chauri-Chaura, which had witnessed large scale violence during the British regime in 1922 following which Mahatma Gandhi had withdrawn his 'non-cooperation movement', in Gorakhpur four days ago. It was scheduled to end at Rajghat in Delhi.

Among those arrested was Pradeepika Saraswat, the Delhi-based journo.

Pradeepika had in a Facebook post said that the sleuths from the local intelligence units and plain cloth policemen had been clicking pictures of the marchers and also questioning them on their 'padyatra'.

She said that the government was so 'terrified' with a small group of people undertaking peaceful foot march that it wants to intimidate them.

Scores of social activists reached Ghazipur district jail after hearing about the arrests and staged a demonstration there to protest against the police action.

They were not allowed to meet the arrested.