Arundhati Roy, Swami Agnivesh join in support for Binayak Sen

Writer Arundhati Roy and social activist Swami Agnivesh today joined scores of fellow activists to protest against the "unjust" life imprisonment of rights campaigner Binayak Sen, which they described as a "move to intimidate and silence dissent".

Organised by the All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA) and All India Students' Association (AISA), the protest saw students, academicians and activists shouting slogans against the life sentence to Sen.

"If you are charging Sen with sedition, then slap the same charge against me also. I am with him," said Agnivesh addressing the protestors at Jantar Mantar, the dharna hotspot of the national capital.

Calling Sen a "dedicated soul," he added that Sen's case had "shaken everyone."

Roy said there was "hardly any connection" between the judgement that was delivered on Sen, Piyush Guha and Narayan Sanyal and the evidence that was produced in the court.

"The two seem to be completely on separate tracks," she said and identified Sen as a "symbol" of something "terrible thats happening".

"His life and work had already been destroyed," the writer said.

Sen was found guilty along with Naxal ideologue Sanyal and Kolkata-based businessman Guha for colluding with Maoists in their fight against the state.

The 58-year-old activist was arrested from Bilaspur in 2007 for allegedly acting as a courier for Sanyal and was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Raipur court on December 24.