‘Under House Arrest,’ Says Munawwar Rana’s Daughter; Police Denies

Video Producer: Shohini Bose

Video Editor: Prashant Chauhan

Poet Munawwar Rana's daughter Sumaiya Rana, who had called for a protest near Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s residence to protest against unemployment in the state, claims she has been put under house arrest.

She also says that there’s massive police presence outside her residence and that she’s not been allowed to leave her apartment.

"Around 12 in the night, a team of close to 50-60 police personnel, including mostly personnel in uniform, some personnel in civil clothes and woman police personnel arrived outside my residence. They surrounded the gate of my apartment. They created an atmosphere of fear and terror," said Sumaiya Rana to The Quint.

'Am I a Terrorist?'

Sumaiya said that she and some other women were planning to protest peacefully on 8 September, against UP government’s tackling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the unemployment in the state.

She claimed that there was police presence outside her father's residence, too, and that she's only being allowed to visit her father.

"Protesting is my fundamental right," she said, adding that she got a notice on saying that there is a restriction on protests due to COVID-19.

“We had organised a demonstration on 8 September, following all necessary guidelines. But that didn’t happen. Why was there a massive police presence outside my house. Am I a terrorist or a criminal? Yogi Adityanath should know that protests are a part of the democratic right. They are in power now, they didn’t want the demonstration, so they stopped it. They want to lock me up. What they are doing to UP is not unknown. We women have been rendered voiceless in UP. The actual truth behind their ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ is now evident.”

Sumaiya Rana, Activist, Poet Munawwar Rana’s Daughter

'CM Running Away From Issues'

Sumaiya's sister Uzma Parveen claims she and some other women, who were planning to protest, have also been put under house arrest. Their movements have also been restricted.

“We had planned to organise a protest while maintaining social distancing. We wanted our voices to reach the government. When they got to know that we were planning a protest, they set up massive police presence outside our homes and put us on house arrest. We wanted to appeal to the CM to listen to our troubles. But he is running away from the real issues.”

Uzma Parveen, Social Activist, Sumaiya Rana’s Sister

"The government has allowed gatherings of not more that 50 people. We were going to protest with just 20-25 women who were in trouble. We wanted to bang utensils to symbolically wake the CM from his slumber," said Sumaiya, adding that the government has failed to deal with the problems that the people of the state are facing.

'Sumaiya Rana is a Free Person': UP Police

Uttar Pradesh police, meanwhile, has denied charges of Sumaiya Rana being put under house arrest and her movement being restricted.

“No action has been taken against anyone. No one has been put under house arrest. Sumaiya is a free citizen of an independent country, there is no restriction on her movement.”

Dinanant Mishra, Kaiserbagh SHO

Sumaiya and Uzma were booked in January this year for playing a key role in the anti-CAA protests in Lucknow. Cases were filed against them for public obstruction, making objectionable comments on social media, violating Section 144 imposed in Lucknow at that time and disturbing peace.