Several Elgaar Parishad accused on day-long hunger strike in support of protesting farmers

To show solidarity with protesting farmers, some of the arrested accused in the Elgaar Parishad case who are lodged at Taloja Central Jail observed a day-long symbolic hunger strike on Wednesday.

The accused, including Mahesh Raut, Anand Teltumbde, Surendra Gadling, Hany Babu, Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves and Rona Wilson, said in a statement issued through their lawyers that since they cannot join the farmers on the ground, they want to show solidarity with their cause through a hunger strike on December 23, which is observed as National Farmers’ Day.

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The statement, issued through lawyer Nihalsing Rathod, said that while activists Stan Swamy and Gautam Navlakha also expressed a desire to participate in the strike, it was decided to not involve them due to their health. Telugu poet and activist Varavara Rao, also arrested in the case, is currently admitted at Nanavati Hospital.

Three other accused in the case, Sudha Bharadwaj, Jyoti Jagtap and Shoma Sen, are lodged separately at Byculla women’s jail.