New Delhi, November 20: Citing the "sedition charge" levelled against 10,000 tribals of a single district in Jharkhand, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi lashed out at the incumbent government. The Gandhi scion accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of crushing those fighting against "state oppression" by allegedly misusing the law. Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2019: Priyanka Gandhi Missing From Congress Campaigners List.

Gandhi also jabbed the Indian media, calling it a "sold out" entity which would not be raising the voice of those slapped with the "draconian" sedition charge. He called for a citizens' movement, claiming that such blatant use of sedition law is aimed at trampling upon the rights of people.

"That any Govt could slam the draconian "sedition" law on 10,000 Adivasis, fighting against state oppression, should have shocked the conscience of our nation and raised a media storm (sic)," Gandhi said on Twitter.

"But it hasn’t. Our “sold out”media may have lost its voice; as citizens can we afford to? (sic)," he further added in his tirade on social media.

See Rahul Gandhi's Tweet

 

In his tweet, Gandhi cited a Scroll report which cited the police charge sheet to reveal that around 10,000 tribals have been booked under section 124-A of the Indian Penal Code (sedition) in a single district. The accused have been charged of participating in a rebellion against the State by joining the  Pathalgadi movement.

Under the movement, tribals in several villages of Khunti district placed stone plaques outside their villages, declaring that the gram sabha is the sole sovereign authority of their region. During the course of their protest in 2017-18, several tribals had pledged to not to vote in elections henceforth.

Gandhi's tirade against the Raghubar Das government over the alleged mistreatment of tribal dissidents is timed ahead of the upcoming elections. The assembly polls, set to be held in five phases, will begin on November 30 and end on December 20. Results would be declared by the Election Commission of India on December 23.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 20, 2019 05:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).