A group of women staged a protest to mark International Women’s Day at Vengara near here on Monday. They demanded the release of jailed Malayali journalist Siddique Kappan.
The protest took place under the banner of the Siddique Kappan Solidarity Forum.
Inaugurating the protest, Vengara grama panchayat president K.P. Haseena Fasal said that the Uttar Pradesh and the Central governments were displaying their “fascist character” by incarcerating the Kerala journalist. Mr. Kappan, secretary of the Delhi unit of the Kerala Union of Working Journalists, was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police five months ago while he was on his way to cover the Hathras rape-and-murder issue.
The government jailed him, slapping on him charges of sedition.
The women’s collective demanded that the cases slapped against Mr. Kappan be revoked. Forum executive member P. Ambika presided over the function. Mr. Kappan’s wife Raihanath addressed the gathering.
