Bhopal, June 1 -- Bal Krishna Namdeo, a 70-year-old activist for Bhopal gas victims, on Saturday alleged unlawful detention by police, drawing disturbing parallels with the Emergency-era suppression of dissent.
Namdeo, president of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pensionbhogi Sangharsh Morcha, said he was picked up from his Aishbagh home at 8.00 am on Friday and held at Aishbagh Police Station until 1.00 pm.
No reason for his detention was given, he said, despite his repeated requests. Officers only said the order had come "from above", without disclosing who had issued it.Namdeo was particularly disturbed, since he had been officially invited by the government to the very event he was allegedly being prevented from attending.
He claimed...