Bhubaneswar, Oct. 22 -- The CPI(M) Odisha State Committee on Thursday demanded the immediate release of Dr Randall Secura, a physician serving tribal communities in Kalahandi and Rayagada for years, and Dalit youth leader Laxman Naik, alleging that their arrests reflect a wider crackdown on those opposing mining projects in the region.
In a statement, the party said the two were detained on the night of October 16 and arrested the following day. It questioned the circumstances of their arrest, the alleged failure to inform their families, and the filing of cases involving serious charges.
The CPI (M) alleged that tribals, Dalits and social activists opposing the mining projects associated with Vedanta at Sijimali and the Adani Group at Ku...