Arrested activists planning to end 'Modi-raj' with 'Rajiv Gandhi-type incident': Maharashtra Police

Three days after the controversial arrests of five Left-leaning activists, the Maharashtra police on Friday revealed chilling details about their alleged plan to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing a press conference, Maharashtra Police ADG Param Bir Singh claimed that the accused activists were helping Maoist organisations to take their “goals” forward and a terrorist organisation was also involved in this. He said that an email letter, between Rona Wilson and a CPI-Maoist leader, mentioned of ending “Modi-raj” with a "Rajiv Gandhi-type incident".

“Investigation revealed that a big controversy was being plotted by Maoist organisations. The accused were helping them to take their goals forward. A terrorist outfit was also involved,” ADG Singh claimed.

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Giving more details about the highly controversial action against the activists, the Maharashtra Police ADG said that they had registered a case on January 8 against the Elghar Parishad event on December 31, 2017 where hate speeches were delivered.

In the investigation, Singh said it was found out that all the accused were associated with Kabir Kala Manch, a cultural organisation that was formed in 2002 in the wake of the Gujarat riots. In 2011, the members of the organisation were accused of promoting ideologies of Maoists and Naxals.

"When we were confident that clear links have been established then only we moved to take action against these people, in different cities. The evidence clearly establishes their links with Maoists," he added.

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On Tuesday, the Maharashtra Police had carried out multiple raids at the residences of five Left-leaning activists across the country and arrested them for their alleged Maoist links. The raids were carried out as part of a probe into a conclave—Elgar Parishad—held in Pune on December 31 last year, which had allegedly triggered violence at Bhima Koregaon in the district the next day.

Those who were arrested included revolutionary writer Varavara Rao in Hyderabad, activists Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira in Mumbai, trade unionist and lawyer Sudha Bhardwaj in Haryana’s Faridabad, and journalist Gautam Navlakha in Delhi.