After a crackdown on lead to the arrest of 5 rights activists, people gathered at the Press Club, Raisina Road. The gathering of activists, writer and politicians was addressed by Aruna Roy Arundhati Roy, Bezwada Wilson, Harish Dhawan, Kalyani Menon-Sen, N. D. Pancholi, Prashant Bhushan, Sanjay Parikh. Author Arundhati Roy says the arrests are part of the Bharatiya Janata Party's strategy leading up to elections. Especially as the BJP works to build up support across the nation. "None of the five people who were arrested yesterday, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira, Sudha Bhardwaj, Varavara Rao and Gautam Navlakha—were present at the Elgar Parishad rally that took place on December 31st 2017, or at the rally the following day when approximately 300,000 people, mostly Dalit, gathered to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Bhima–Koregaon victory. ( Dalits joined the British to defeat an oppressive Peshwa regime. One of the few victories that Dalits can celebrate with pride.) " she said.

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