Activists on hunger strike at Noida DM office detained

Noida: Four activists who had launched an indefinite hunger strike at the district magistrate’s office on Monday were detained by police later in the evening for violating Section 163 of the BNSS (prohibition of assembly to protect public peace).Chaudhary Praveen Bhartiya from the Corruption Free India Organisation and the three others were protesting against indiscriminate groundwater extraction in Noida and Greater Noida, and had demanded immediate action against those involved. He had also raised issues related to farmers, village development, food adulteration and employment opportunities for local youth when he was apprehended.An officer said the activists were taken into preventive detention as prohibitory orders under Section 163 BNSS are currently in force across Noida after the labour unrest last month. Public protests are not allowed while the orders remain in place.“He will be released after being warned. Action has been taken under Section 170 of BNSS (arrest to prevent commission of cognisable offences),” he said.According to organisation member Dinesh Nagar, Bhartiya was picked up by police despite the group having permission from the district administration for the protest.“The police administration adopted a dictatorial attitude, detaining Praveen Bhartiya, Rakesh Nagar, Premraj Bhati and Pawan Yadav directly from the protest site and sending them to jail. A peaceful protest was disrupted by the police. This is absolutely undemocratic,” Nagar alleged, adding that about 40 members of the organisation and local residents gathered in support of the agitation.