Lucknow: Major Left parties in Uttar Pradesh have strongly condemned the arrest of CPI(ML) State Secretary Comrade Sudhakar Yadav and other leaders in Mirzapur, terming the action undemocratic and repressive, and have demanded their immediate and unconditional release. The Left parties have also announced a statewide protest on January 6 against the arrests.
Addressing a joint press conference at the CPI(M) state office on Vidhan Sabha Marg, Left leaders alleged that Sudhakar Yadav has been falsely implicated. They pointed out that in the case registered at Lalganj police station, Mirzapur (FIR No. 04/2026)—under which the police claim to have arrested him—his name does not even appear in the FIR, nor was he present at the site of the incident.
Similarly, CPI(ML) State Standing Committee member and District Secretary Comrade Jeera Bharti was also arrested on Saturday. Left leaders claimed that she too was neither present at the spot nor legitimately named, alleging that her inclusion in the FIR was fabricated.
According to the parties, both leaders were returning after attending the funeral of a deceased party member in Varanasi when they were detained at around 3:30 pm near Sharma Mod Market in the Adalhat police station area of Mirzapur. They alleged that the police initially arrested them without stating any reason or showing a warrant, and even now have not clearly disclosed where the leaders have been taken. Despite repeated efforts, no official information was provided by the authorities, they claimed.
The Left parties stated that Sudhakar Yadav and Jeera Bharti have been leading struggles in Mirzapur under the Forest Rights Act, demanding restoration of tribal forest rights, prevention of displacement, and withdrawal of bulldozer action. Just a day earlier, a public protest had been held before the Mirzapur Divisional Commissioner, seeking land ownership for tribals under the Forest Rights Act and protesting alleged collusion between the administration and land mafias.
Despite assurances from the Vindhyachal Division Additional Commissioner that no bulldozer action would take place, forest department personnel allegedly entered the Tendua Khurd tribal settlement in Lalganj around 2 am on Saturday night and destroyed standing crops. When villagers protested, they were allegedly assaulted, women were misbehaved with, and several people were injured. However, while an FIR was lodged on the forest department’s complaint, the police allegedly refused to register cases based on complaints from injured villagers and women.
Left leaders further alleged that the arrests were made before the FIR was officially registered at 3:46 pm on January 3, and even then, the name of the CPI(ML) state secretary does not figure in the document.
The Left parties demanded the immediate release of Sudhakar Yadav, Jeera Bharti, and the arrested villagers, strict action against officials responsible for false cases and the alleged assault on tribals, and an immediate halt to bulldozer action.
Terming the arrests as part of the Yogi government’s authoritarian approach, the Left parties announced a statewide protest on January 6 (Tuesday).
The press conference was addressed by Dr. Hiralal Yadav, Central Committee member of CPI(M); Kanti Mishra, member of the CPI State Secretariat; Ramesh Singh Sengar and Arun Kumar of CPI(ML); and Udaynath Singh of the Forward Bloc.
