[Janshakti] RTI activist atack and demonstration in Lucknow

-- On 26/01/2011, Wednesday a fatal attempt was made on the life of RTI activist Amarnath Pandey. National RTI Forum, UP RTI Council along with Agrani Foundation, CCSR, Youth Initiative, members of Lucknow Bar and others organized a protest movement today 27/01/2011 at Shaheed Smaarak,Gandhi Sadan, Lucknow. 

Dr Nutan Thakur, Convener, National RTI Forum,  RTI activists from UP RTI Council Akhilesh Saxena, Dev Datt Sharma, Human Rights activist Ashish Awasthi , Anupam Pandey of Agrani Foundation , Advocates Abhai Kumar Singh, Vinay Shahi, Saurabh Mishra, Raj Kumar Sharma, Seema Tripathi, Ashwini Rai, Nilay Shankar and others, Praveen Rai, social activist from Varanasi , K Agrawal from the All India Bank Employees Association  etc. condemned the attacks on Amarnath Pandey in the strongest term. She said that all the accused in this case and in the previous attempt made against Dr Pandey must be arrested immediately and strongest legal measures like NSA, Gangster Act, Goonda Act etc. must be imposed on these persons. They also expressed concern for the security aspect of the RTI activists. said that such events produce fear in the hearts of all social activists and are a slap on the law and order situation. 
They said that this attack was an attack on democracy as Dr Pandey had raised his voice against the deep corruption in MNREGA in his area. He had used RTI in the fullest manner for this purpose. Required legal measures must be taken against all those powerful people including the BDO of his region about whom Dr Pandey complained. The group was of the view that Fast Track courts must hear all such cases related with RTI and other social activists so that justice was delivered fast. 

They rrelated this incidence with the brutal burning of ADM Yashwant Sonawane in Maharashtra and said that this was the price India was paying in the way of fighting corruption. 

The group presented a memorandum to the Governor of Uttar Pradesh where they wanted strictest legal action including NSA, Gangster Act, Goonda Act etc. against the accused in both the attempts on Dr Pandey, administrative and criminal action against all those administrative officers found guilty in this case, action against all delinquent police officers for dereliction in duty and issuance of a Government order to all Commissioners, Range police officers, District Magistrates and District DIG/ SP to take all complaints of RTI activists with utmost seriousness and to take adequate necessary action immediately.

 Dr Nutan Thakur,
Convenor,
National RTI Forum,
Lucknow
94155-34525

Palash Biswas
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