Press Statement
Date – 1 June, 2026
CASR Condemns the Abduction of Student Activist Yogesh Meena and the Escalating Repression of Democratic Voices
The Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) strongly condemns the reported abduction and detention of student activist Yogesh Meena by the Uttar Pradesh STF from outside Ramjas College, Delhi University, on 30 May.
According to reports, Yogesh was picked up without any prior notice and taken away after being questioned by police personnel. The detention of a student activist from a university campus is a matter of grave concern and reflects the growing assault on democratic rights and political dissent.
Who is Yogesh Meena?
Yogesh Meena is a law student at the Campus Law Centre, Delhi University, and a member of Disha Students’ Organisation. He has been actively involved in student issues and has expressed solidarity with the ongoing struggle of Noida workers. His detention cannot be viewed in isolation but must be understood in the context of increasing state action against workers, students, and democratic rights activists associated with the movement.
The Noida Protest Case and the Criminalisation of Solidarity
The Noida protest case is increasingly being used to target not only workers but also those who raise their voices in support of them. Several activists and workers have already been arrested, while harsh laws, including the NSA, have reportedly been imposed on some of the accused.
The message being sent is clear: anyone who stands with workers, supports democratic movements, or questions state actions can be subjected to repression. The targeting of students and activists under the guise of a conspiracy case raises serious concerns about the shrinking democratic space available for dissent and protest.
The detention of Yogesh Meena follows a disturbing pattern. In March, according to reports made public by activists and democratic rights groups, ten activists, many of them students and young political workers, were allegedly picked up by the Delhi Police Special Cell from different locations.
They were reportedly held in illegal custody for prolonged periods, denied access to lawyers and family members, and subjected to intimidation and physical abuse during interrogation. These incidents generated widespread concern among democratic rights organisations, which described them as examples of the growing use of extra-legal methods against political dissent.
The detention of Yogesh therefore appears not as an isolated incident but as part of a broader campaign of intimidation directed at students, youth activists, and those associated with people’s movements.
A Long Record of Repression and Extrajudicial Practices
The allegations surrounding Yogesh Meena’s detention also revive longstanding concerns regarding the functioning of law-enforcement agencies in Uttar Pradesh. Human rights organisations, civil liberties groups, and democratic rights activists have repeatedly raised concerns about alleged unlawful detentions, custodial abuse, extrajudicial practices, and the state’s controversial record of police encounters.
For years, marginalised communities, workers, activists, and political dissidents have reported being subjected to arbitrary state action. The reported detention of Yogesh must therefore be viewed within this broader context of growing repression and the increasing use of coercive state power against democratic movements.
Universities Must Not Become Sites of Fear
The targeting of students has become particularly alarming. Universities have historically served as spaces of critical thinking, political debate, and democratic engagement. The detention of a law student from outside a university campus sends a chilling message to students across the country.
Attempts to criminalise student activism, workers’ solidarity, and democratic participation threaten the very foundations of a democratic society.
CASR stands in solidarity with Yogesh Meena and with all workers, students, and activists facing repression. Attempts to silence democratic voices through arrests, intimidation, surveillance, and draconian laws will not succeed. History has repeatedly shown that repression only strengthens the resolve of those fighting against exploitation, injustice, and state violence.
Our Demands
– Immediate release of Yogesh Meena.
– Release of all workers, students, and activists arrested in connection with the Noida protest case.
– Withdrawal of the NSA and all other repressive measures imposed on activists and workers.
– An independent inquiry into allegations of illegal detention, custodial abuse, and intimidation of activists.
– An end to the criminalisation of democratic dissent and solidarity with people’s movements.
Campaign Against State Repression (CASR)
(AIRSO, AISF, APCR, ASA, BASF, BSM, Bhim Army, bsCEM, CEM, Collective, CRPP, CSM, CTF, DISSC, DSU, DTF, Forum Against Repression Telangana, Fraternity Movement, IAPL, Innocence Network, Karnataka Janashakti, LAA, Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, Mazdoor Patrika, NAPM, Nazariya Magazine, Nishant Natya Manch, Nowruz, NTUI, People’s Watch, Rihai Manch, Samajwadi Janparishad, Samajwadi Lok Manch, Bahujan Samajwadi Manch, United Peace Alliance, WSS, Y4S)
