States » NorthPosted at: Oct 25 2026 2:25PM


UP: CPI(ML) condemns case against leaders over peaceful ASHA workers' protest, demands withdrawal

Lucknow, Oct 25 (UNI) The Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation (CPI(ML)) has condemned the filing of criminal charges against six political and trade union leaders, including state committee member Vijay Vidrohi and AISF state president Manish Sharma, and around 200–250 ASHA workers, in connection with a protest in Lucknow on October 23, alleging that the move is aimed at intimidating protesters and suppressing their democratic rights.
The party termed this a government attempt to intimidate and suppress a peaceful democratic movement and demanded the immediate withdrawal of the case.
CPI (ML) State Secretary Sudhakar Yadav said in a statement on Sunday that the government is attempting to intimidate the protesting ASHA workers and the organizations supporting them through false cases. ASHA workers have been agitating for a long time for various demands, including granting them government employee status and increasing their honorarium.
On October 23, their state-level protest was held at Eco Garden, for which prior permission was obtained from the administration. The protest remained completely peaceful.
He said that during the protest, Uttar Pradesh Asha Workers union (affiliated to AICCTU) leader Vijay Vidrohi and other leaders held talks with officials, but no concrete agreement could be reached on the demands. After the Asha workers left in the evening, union leaders and AISF leaders who had come to support the protest remained at the protest site and were preparing to leave. Police at the Eco Garden outpost detained them. They were later released, but after midnight, the outpost in-charge filed a case against them.
Sudhakar Yadav stated that in addition to Vijay Vidrohi and Manish Sharma, CPI(ML) State Committee member and union leader Kamala Gautam, Devanand, AISF leader Bhanu, and AICCTU leader Rajesh Singh have been named in the case. Around 200-250 Asha workers have also been charged. The accused have been charged under half a dozen sections, including Section 7 of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act.
The State Secretary stated that imposing criminal charges against protesters holding peaceful protests is a direct attack on democratic rights. He added that this case is purely motivated by political malice and an attempt to suppress the movement. Repression and lawsuits will not stop the ASHA workers' movement. The CPI(ML), AISA, and AICCTU stand firmly with the protesters.
He said, "Protests are not a crime; rather, they are a constitutional right of citizens in a democracy. The government should abandon repression and instead negotiate on the legitimate demands of ASHA workers. If repression increases, the movement will intensify."
In the interest of protecting democratic rights and the protesters, the CPI(ML) has demanded the immediate withdrawal of Crime No. 0156/2026 and an end to repressive actions against ASHA workers.
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