Jairam Ramesh claims Delhi Police stopped people from attending 'We20 meeting'

New Delhi, Aug 19 (PTI) Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Saturday claimed that the Delhi Police stopped people from attending a 'We20 meeting' organised by activists inside a building that belongs to the CPI(M). The police said the organisers did not inform or take permission for the gathering in the "sensitive" zone.

The event, scheduled for Aug 18-20, where activists and opposition leaders had gathered to raise people's issues, was being held at the Harkishan Singh Surjeet Bhawan on Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg in a high-security area.

In a post on X, Ramesh questioned the police action against the "peaceful" meeting.

The police said after information was received, it found that people were gathered and a tent was also erected at the building.

The organisers could not produce any valid permission, a senior police officer said, adding that they had not intimated the police about the programme and the gathering.

DDU Marg is a sensitive zone and in view of the upcoming G-20 event, no gathering without any prior permission or intimation can be allowed, hence the organisers were advised to remove tents and asked not to continue the programme without a valid permission, the officer said.

In the post on X, Ramesh said the meeting was perfectly peaceful with no street protests and while he managed to enter the venue at HKS Surjeet Bhavan at 10.30 am, it was difficult to get out.

"It is extraordinary that Delhi Police is stopping people from attending the We20 meeting organised by activists representing 'We, The People', inside a building that belongs to the CPM," Ramesh said.

"The meeting is perfectly peaceful. There are no street protests. I managed to enter at 10:30 am before Delhi Police started its operation but finding it difficult to exit now. This is New India Democracy," he said.

One of the organisers, Leo Saldanha, said that after the police arrived, participants and speakers were not allowed to enter the building, but they were continuing with the seminar with the people who were already inside.

"The seminar is aimed at taking a critical look at the G20," he said.

Ramesh also tagged a post by an activist who claimed that the Delhi Police was trying to shut down the 'We 20' meeting and "preventing" Ramesh from leaving the venue after speaking. PTI ASK NIT RT