Centre issues statement on Stan Swamy's death, quashes human rights violation outcry

Issuing a statement on Bhima Koregaon violence case accused Stan Swamy's death, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) quashed the outcry over human rights violation reports. Laying down facts of the case, the Union Government highlighted that Stan Swamy's bail applications were rejected by the courts because of the 'specific nature of charges' against him. In a stern statement quashing the outcry on social media, the MEA remarked that authorities in India act 'against violations of law' and not against legitimate exercise of rights. 

"India's democratic and constitutional polity is complemented by an independent judiciary, a range of national and state-level Human Rights Commissions that monitor violations, a free media and a vibrant and vocal civil society. India remains committed to promotion and protections of human rights of all its citizens," the MEA statement on Tuesday evening read. 

Moreover, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in the statement also pointed out that Stan Swamy was allowed medical treatment at a private hospital on the direction of the Bombay High Court, and that his health and medical treatment was being closely monitored by the courts. 

Opposition parties write to President Kovind

The Centre's statement comes at a time when 10 Opposition parties including the Congress, TMC and DMK have written to President Ram Nath Kovind, urging his intervention in the matter to hold those responsible for the death of Stan Swamy. The letter demands the release of all those detained in the Bhima Koregaon violence case. The letter sent to the President was signed by Sonia Gandhi (INC), Sharad Pawar (NCP), Mamata Banerjee (TMC), MK Stalin (DMK), Hemant Soren (JMM), HD Deve Gowda (JD-S), Farooq Abdullah (JKPA), Tejaswi Yadav (RJD), D Raja (CPI) and Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M). The letter addressed to Ram Nath Kovind also accused the government of non-rightfully treating a patient in custody.

The letter said, “We the undersigned leaders of the opposition parties are writing to you in deep anguish expressing our intense grief and outrage at the death of Father Stan Swamy under custody.” Speaking about the activist’s condition, it said, “He was denied treatment for his various ailments including debilitating Parkinson’s. Only after a nationwide campaign was conducted that even a sipper to drink liquids was made available to him in jail.”

UN body 'disturbed' Stan Swamy's death 

The UN body on human rights on Tuesday said it was deeply saddened and disturbed by the death of 84-year-old rights activist Stan Swamy during his pre-trial detention. It said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet and the United Nations' independent experts have repeatedly raised the cases of Swamy, a Jesuit priest, and 15 other human rights defenders with the Indian government over the last three years and urged for their release from detention.

Stan Swamy passes away

Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case accused Father Stan Swamy breathed his last at a Mumbai hospital on Monday morning where he had been admitted. Undertrial in the Bhima Koregaon case, Father Stan Swamy's counsel informed the Bombay High Court of his passing away on Monday as the court took up his bail plea for hearing. The octogenarian tribal activist had applied for bail on medical grounds after he was arrested on October 8, 2020, from his residence in Ranchi. 

Swamy had spent the last eight months in the Taloja Central prison before being shifted to the hospital as his condition deteriorated. As the bench of Justices SS Shinde and NJ Jamadar assembled on Monday noon to hear Stan Swamy's bail plea, his counsel sought the court's permission, stating that the doctor treating the Jesuit priest wanted to say something.