March 17, 2026: The arbitrary and vindictive arrest of 14 Muslim youth for having an Iftar party during a Ganga boat ride in Varanasi is nothing but a naked display of fascist, communal authoritarianism by the BJP-Yogi regime against Muslims, akin to Nazi-era repression of the very ‘right to live’ based on religious identity.
These young men, small-time traders in their 20s, have been taken into custody on the basis of communally motivated and fabricated charges, manufactured at the behest of BJP’s Yuva Morcha operatives, using bogus excuses.
This move comes in the backdrop of the communal actions of the Yogi administration in Sambhal, where attempts were made to restrict namaz, an order that was later strongly objected by the Allahabad High Court.
We continue to witness a systematic fascist offensive by the BJP-Yogi regime against Muslims, Dalits, and the poor, targeting their dignity and livelihoods. This onslaught must be firmly resisted.
— Central Committee, CPI(ML) Liberation
