The CPIML Uttar Pradesh unit has strongly condemned as tyrannical the death threat given by the Hargaon (Sitapur) Thana chief to the party state committee leader after a peaceful dharna protest organized by the party on 5 July 2022 in front of the Hargaon Thana.

State Secretary Sudhakar Yadav said that the Yogi government has imposed an undeclared ban on common democratic activities, making even dharna protests difficult to hold. The police have become autocratic due to the free license given to them by Yogi regime.

Comrade Sudhakar said that the dharna protest in front of the Thana on 5 July was organized against the unilateral police action in the matter of a clash between 2 groups. After the dharna was over some people left the venue. The few remaining people were about to leave when the Hargaon Thana chief Brijesh Tripathi arrived at the spot, snatched away one of the protester's (Kanhaiyalal) phone and insulted party District Secretary and newly elected Zilla Panchayat member Comrade Arjun Lal in public. Using casteist words of abuse, he insulted the dalit leader and uttered the threat that if any protest was organized in front of the Thana in future he will not only throw them in jail, but also nobody will ever know where Arjun Lal has vanished. In other words, he threatened to have Arjun Lal killed. Moreover, he openly threatened that if you organize a protest, you will see what we do to you. The CPIML gave a written complaint about this to the Sitapur DM on 6 July.

Comrade Sudhakar said that this is a criminal act on the part of the Thana chief and demanded a case under the SC/ST Act and strict action against him. He said that such an anti-people Thana chief who insults an elected people's representative should be dismissed from police service.