Police ask Amnesty staff to stay away from office

The move comes in the wake of reports that ABVP was to stage a protest at the Amnesty office in Bengaluru

Fearing protests, staff of Amnesty International India were on Thursday advised not to come to their offices and work from other locations, following instructions from police.

Officials from Amnesty International told IANS that police has advised them to stay away from office across the country.

"We are asking our staff to work from other locations today as a precautionary measure, based on police advice," Amnesty International India Executive Director Aakar Patel told IANS.

An employee of Amnesty told IANS they hoped to be back in office on Friday.

"We are cooperating with the police and doing our work from remote locations. The office is presently under police protection," an Amnesty employee told IANS.

 

Asked if they will be back in office on Friday, the Amnesty employee, who did not want to be named, said it will depend on the police's instructions.

The move comes in the wake of reports that the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student's wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), was to stage a protest at the Amnesty office in Bengaluru.

Police booked a sedition case against Amnesty India on Monday night for anti-India slogans allegedly raised at an event it organised in Bengaluru on August 13.

Protests have been continuing since then with demands being made to arrest Amnesty representatives.