Civil society activists protest in Delhi against Sanjiv Bhatt's arrest

A group of civil society activists Monday staged a demonstration outside Gujarat Bhavan in Delhi to protest against the arrest of the suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt who has taken on the Narendra Modi government.

Carrying placards and chanting slogans against the Gujarat Chief Minister, around 40 activists demonstrated outside the Gujarat Bhawan as part of a nationwide protest call given by various civil groups and organization like ANHAD and All India Secular Forum.

Filmmaker Mahesh Bhat said "it is not the misdemeanor of the bad but the silence of the good people that does the harm. Today, it is very important to stand together with Sanjiv Bhatt and his family  and raise our voice in a dignified manner."

"I spoke to Sanjiv over phone and he told me that only the court and the people of the country will decide my fate and whether the rule of law still exists in this nation," he said.

Terming the arrest as 'unconstitutional', activist Shabnam Hashmi alleged Bhatt's arrest was "arbitrary based on fabricated charges" by police.

"It’s a clear case of intimidation of whistle-blowers and shows totalitarian character of Modi regime", said Delhi-based activist Mahtab Alam.

The activists also submitted a memorandum to the Resident Commissioner at the Gujarat Bhawan seeking immediate and unconditional release of Bhatt.