Accusing the BJP of being anti-people, the CPI(M) on Thursday came down hard on the government over the arrest of noted economist Jean Dreze.
Dreze and activist Vivek Gupta were taken into preventive custody for violating the model code of conduct by organising a meeting without permission in Jharkhand's Garhwa district and later released after an investigation, police earlier said.
Jean Dreze was a member of the National Advisory Council headed by Sonia Gandhi during the erstwhile UPA regime.
"CPIM strongly condemns the arrest of noted Economist Jean Dreze in Jharkhand for organizing a Right to Food meeting! Faced with severe criticism the Govt was forced to release him," the party tweeted.
The Belgian-born development economist is known for his activism on the right to food and has co-authored 'Hunger and Public Action' with Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, which focussed on the problem of hunger in the modern world.
Dreze is currently an honorary professor at the Delhi School of Economics and a visiting professor at the Ranchi University. He previously taught at the London School of Economics.
"A renowned economist, speaking for the rights of the people, is taken into custody by a BJP state govt. Forget their spin and jumlas, this is how anti-people the BJP is," CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury tweeted.
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