In light of the recent arrests of activists, film director-actor Farhan Akhtar on Friday noted that anti-fascism should be encouraged and celebrated in a free society.
Farhan commented on the issue, citing an Indian Express report which was headlined, “Police to court: Those held part of anti-fascist plot to overthrow govt.”
He said in his tweet:
To be anti-fascist can only be a crime in a fascist country. In a free society that grants equal rights to all, being anti fascist should be encouraged and celebrated. pic.twitter.com/Rs3T6dEdqE
— Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) August 30, 2018
The Pune Police on Tuesday arrested P Varavara Rao, Gautam Navlakha, Sudha Bhardwaj, Arun Ferreira and Vernon Gonsalves and conducted raids at eight locations in Maharashtra, Goa, Telangana, Delhi and Jharkhand. A day later, the police told a city court that Rao, Ferreira and Gonsalves were “active members” of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoists) and were conspiring to set up an “Anti-Fascist Front” to “overthrow” the Narendra Modi government.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court halted the police’s request of immediate custody and ordered that they be kept under house arrest till September 6.