Arjun Lal, an elected Zila Parishad member and a prominent CPIML leader in Sitapur district, is facing persecution for his courageous leadership in the struggles of Dalits and poor villagers in his constituency. Previously, he has been implicated in numerous false charges, including being booked under the draconian Goonda Act. Now, the district magistrate of Sitapur has issued him a Zila-badar (externment) notice. Another CPIML leader, Comrade Ramdaras, a veteran CPIML and AIKM leader from Lakhimpur Kheri, is also facing persecution and remains imprisoned.
On October 8, 2024, CPIML held protests across Uttar Pradesh against the continued police repression and demanded the revocation of the externment order against Comrade Arjun Lal and the release of Comrade Ramdaras. A CPIML delegation, including AIARLA national president and Bihar MLA Satyadev Ram, UP party secretary Sudhakar Yadav, and central committee member Shriram Chaudhary, met with the District Magistrate of Sitapur to demand the immediate revocation of the externment notice against Arjun Lal.
Arjun Lal, a member of the CPIML UP state committee, comes from a Dalit, landless family and is known for his unwavering commitment to the struggles of poor villagers. In 2022, members of the upper-caste Rajput community launched an attack on a Dalit basti. When Arjun Lal went to the Hargaon police station to lodge a complaint, he, along with other Dalits, was beaten up by the police. Instead of filing an FIR for the attack on Dalits, a false case was lodged against Arjun Lal, and he was sent to jail. Again, on September 21, 2024, the same police station filed a report against Arjun Lal, which became the basis for his externment from the district. The police action against Comrade Arjun Lal is an act of retaliation by feudal elements, backed by the police administration, attempting to silence growing movements for the rights of marginalized communities. Last year, he was falsely accused and jailed, and now the administration is further attempting to suppress him through a fabricated 'Goonda Act' case.
In Lakhimpur Kheri, a march led by AIPWA State President Krishna Adhikari demanded the release of farmer leader Comrade Ramdaras, who has been jailed on false charges since September 19, 2024. In Sitapur, a rally was held at the district headquarters. Similar protests were held in Prayagraj, Ballia, Gorakhpur, Deoria, Maharajganj, Azamgarh, Mau, Varanasi, Sonbhadra, Mirzapur, and several other districts. CPIML leaders pledged to intensify the struggle against state repression in Uttar Pradesh.
