Shillong, Feb 16: The North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) condemned the arrest of the advisor of Manipur Students’ Association Delhi (MSAD), Thokchom Veewon and asked the government to stop gagging dissent voices.

Thokchom Veewon was the president of Manipur Students’ Association Delhi and now its advisor. He was arrested during a joint operation by Manipur police and Delhi police from his rental home at Saket in South Delhi on Friday.

“He (Veewon) was picked up on sedition charges. He has been vocal against Manipur journalist Kishorechandra Wangkhem’s arrest under NSA and the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and had let protests in Delhi,” NESO chairman Samuel Jyrwa said.

Stating that MSAD advisor was arrested without providing any reason and arrest warrant, Jyrwa said, “It’s very undemocratic the way in which the police physically assaulted him, beat him, slapped him, dragged him and didn’t even allowed him to wear slippers while picking him up from his residence. They also robbed him of his laptop and mobile phone.”

He said earlier there was a report that he was searched by Manipur police on few days back at his home in Manipur and threatened his family not to make him engaged in the agitations.

Jyrwa said Veewon is currently kept at Janakpuri police station, is likely to be taken to Manipur adding it has been speculated that the ‘cyber crime’ is behind the MSAD advisor’s arrest.

Two days ago in a facebook post, Veewon said a police team comprising personnel from both Imphal West and East districts arrived at his house in Lamlaimayai Leikai of Imphal around 6pm threatened his parents, search his rom, took pictures of his parents and told them to ask him to concentrate only on his education.

Expressing solidarity with Veewon, the NESO also demanded the government to stop gagging the dissent voices of students. “The facist like nature of the BJP government with its autocratic nature will not be tolerated as it is a big threat to democracy,” Jyrwa said.

Meanwhile, the NESO also demanded the unconditional release of Veewon and said otherwise it will not remain silent on the issue.