India charges Amnesty International with sedition

Police in the southern Indian state of Karnataka have charged Amnesty International India with sedition, after the rights group had organised a panel discussion where a few people were allegedly heard saying slogans about independence for Kashmir.

A few Kashmiri students and activists got into heated arguments with those who supported the federal rule and Indian military in the troubled state. 

A student body affiliated to the ruling right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party staged a protest against the discussion and lodged a police complaint. 

Amnesty India executive director Aakar Patel said: “Merely organising an event to defend constitutional values is now being branded ‘anti-India’ and criminalised.”

Amnesty says it was yet to receive a copy of the charges from the police, stating the Bengaluru police were informed and were present at the event. 

The discussion by Amnesty India was organised as part of a campaign to seek justice for “victims of Human rights violations” in Jammu and Kashmir. 

Over the past month, the north Indian state has been in the grip of violence and trouble.

While India celebrated its 70th Independence Day on Monday, a commander of the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force was killed by militants on the outskirts of the state capital, Srinagar. 

On Tuesday five protesters died in police firing in Badgaum district taking the death toll to 65 and with over 5,000 injured. 

Protesters have clashed with security forces in the Kashmir Valley after last month’s killing of Burhan Wani, the 22-year-old Kashmir commander of Pakistan-based militant group Hizbul Mujahideen.

Since then, parts of the state has been under curfew with limited or no access to mobile and internet services.