Mumbai: Citing the precarious physical and mental condition of the octogenarian poet and public intellectual Vara Vara Rao who is lodged in the Taloja Central Prison, Navi Mumbai, his family members have issued an fervent appeal to the government to urgently shift him to a well-equipped hospital so as to provide him with better medical care.
The octogenarian poet and public intellectual has been languishing in jail for 22 months without a trial under false and fabricated charges in the Bhīma Koregaon case, thanks to the political vendetta of the central government. In a heart-rending appeal issued from Hyderabad his family has appealed to the government admit him to a well-equipped hospital so as to provide him with better medical care.
His health has deteriorated so badly that he cannot walk or even brush his teeth without assistance. More worryingly, he is hallucinating with the progressive collapse of his mental faculties. With the levels of potassium and sodium further going down it could damage his brain permanently. With the news that the Covid-19 has spread to various prisons Vara Vara Rao, who is extremely vulnerable to catch this epidemic, can face a life threatening situation.
In such a situation, the Maharashtra Government which is ruling in the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj must rise to the occasion and immediately admit Vara Vara Rao to a well-equipped hospital.
Along with Vara Vara Rao and Dr. Anand Teltumbde the other co-accused in the Bhima Koregaon false case, viz. Gautam Navlakha, Sudha Bharadwaj, Prof. Shoma Sen and others are languishing in various prisons for an inordinate length of time without a trial. It is evident that the NIA is being misused for political vendetta. It is just to show Maharashtra Chief Minister ‘his place’ that the NIA has been told to take over this case.
We demand that considering the spread of the dangerous Covid-19 pandemic, all these public intellectuals put in prisons under fabricated charges be released forthwith. The Uddhav Thackeray government should not fall prey to the Machiavellian machinations of the Centre that it would be the Maharashtra Government who would be put in the dock, in case something unfortunate and untoward happens. We fervently hope good sense will prevail and the Maharashtra Government will take firm and proper action in this respect. The first step must be to expeditiously shift Vara Vara Rao to a well-equipped hospital in Mumbai.
