On 24 November, the Patiala House Court sent five accused individuals — who were involved in pepper-spraying police officers during an anti-pollution protest — to two days of judicial custody.

One more accused was moved to a juvenile safe house after he claimed to be underage. He will stay there until his age is officially confirmed. The incident drew quick attention because of how unusual the situation was for what was presented as an “environmental protest.”

During the protest, the crowd raised slogans remembering one of India’s most wanted Naxals, Madvi Hidma, who was recently killed in an anti-Naxal operation. When the police tried to stop the gathering, several protesters allegedly used pepper spray directly on police personnel, causing injuries. Two FIRs have been registered naming 22 attackers. Out of them, six have already been arrested, while police continue working to identify the remaining accused.

The protest was led by the Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch (bsCEM). When we looked deeper into the group, it became clear that bsCEM is part of a larger network — the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR). CASR is a collective made up of 38 left-leaning organisations. These include bsCEM, AIRSO, AISA, AISF, APCR, BASF, BSM, Bhim Army, CEM, CRPP, CTF, DISSC, DSU, DTF, Forum Against Repression Telangana, Fraternity, IAPL, Innocence Network, Karnataka Jan Shakti, Progressive Lawyers Association, Mazdoor Adhikar Sanghthan, Mazdoor Patrika, Morcha Patrika, NAPM, Nishant Natya Manch, Nowruz, NTUI, People’s Watch, Rihai Manch, Samajvadi Jan Parishad, Samajvadi Lok Manch, Bahujan Samajvadi Manch, SFI, United Against Hate, United Peace Alliance, WSS and Y4S. The sheer size and range of the collective show how many different groups were connected through CASR.

While tracking CASR’s activities, two names repeatedly came up as speakers in several of their press conferences — Safoora Zargar and Asif Iqbal Tanha. These names stood out because both of them are accused in the 2020 anti-Hindu Delhi riots conspiracy case, making their presence inside the same ecosystem even more significant.

On 30 December 2024, CASR announced a press conference scheduled for 5 January 2025. Out of six speakers chosen for the event, two were Safoora and Tanha. The purpose of the meeting was to denounce the National Investigation Agency (NIA) case widely known as the “Lucknow Conspiracy Case.” This case was filed in June 2023 to examine attempts to revive CPI (Maoist), a banned Naxal organisation.

Media reports say that the case focused on attempts by certain members, supporters and ground-level workers to rebuild the influence of the banned outfit in the Northern Regional Bureau (NRB). This regional network includes Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

During the press meeting, Safoora claimed that the conspiracy cases filed against so-called activists were really attempts by the central government to suppress dissent. She described them as “limitless blackholes.” Tanha, on the other hand, urged people to continue showing “sustained and fearless resistance against the systematic oppression.”

These statements were connected to the investigation into alleged efforts to revive a banned Naxal group. However, it is important to remember their own involvement in the conspiracy case related to the anti-Hindu Delhi riots.

Who is Safoora Zargar and Her Role in the Delhi Riots

Safoora Zargar is one of the accused in the Larger Conspiracy Case of the 2020 anti-Hindu riots. She was charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for what investigators described as her role in the conspiracy that led to the February 2020 violence in Delhi. She was arrested in April 2020.

According to the Delhi Police, she was part of a plan to “destroy, destabilize and disintegrate the Government of India in order to compel to withdraw the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the alleged National Register of Citizens.”

In June 2020, the Delhi High Court granted her bail on humanitarian grounds. Since the central government did not object to her release, she was granted bail after furnishing a bond of ₹10,000. She was allowed to go free under the conditions that she would not leave Delhi without the court’s permission and that she would not interfere with the ongoing investigation.

Who is Asif Iqbal Tanha and His Role in the Delhi Riots

Asif Iqbal Tanha, a student from Jamia Millia Islamia and a member of the Student Islamic Organisation (SIO) since 2014, was arrested under the UAPA in May for allegedly being part of the wider conspiracy that led to the February 2020 riots in northeast Delhi.

According to investigators, Asif admitted that he helped organise a march of 2,500–3,000 people from Gate No. 7 of Jamia Millia Islamia on 12 December. He also revealed that activist Sharjeel Imam gave a provocative speech urging protestors to carry out a “chakka jam” on 13 December.

However, their plans did not go as expected. Police intervened and used a lathi-charge to disperse the crowd. In response, Jamia students reportedly began stone-pelting, set buses on fire, and caused large-scale unrest on the streets. The violence resulted in injuries to both police officers and protestors.

Asif also admitted that he delivered provocative speeches in many cities, including Kolkata, Kota, Lucknow, Kanpur, Ujjain, Indore, Jaipur, Patna, Sabzibagh, Araria, Samastipur and Ahmedabad. Reports say he urged Muslims to protest and to not avoid violence if they believed it was necessary. Asif was also vocal against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which he believed was anti-Muslim, and this led him to join demonstrations at Jamia Millia.

Additionally, Asif said that JNU activist Umar Khalid suggested the idea of blocking roads and disrupting traffic during the visit of US President Donald Trump to India. The plan was executed by people like Meeran Haider and Safoora Zargar, which later turned into violent riots. He was also accused of wanting to turn India into an Islamic country and saw the CAA as a threat to Muslim identity.

About CASR

As explained earlier, CASR is a coalition of 38 left-leaning groups. Investigations traced its visible public activity back to November 2022, when it first shared details about a public meeting organised in support of individuals accused in Naxal-related cases, such as GN Saibaba, Hem Mishra, Prashant Rahi, Mahesh Tikri and Vijay Tikri.

This public meeting took place on 5 December. Well-known figures such as Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan, RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha and CPI General Secretary D. Raja were among the speakers.

Prashant Bhushan’s presence is especially notable because he has been linked to the 2020 anti-Hindu Delhi riots. A secret meeting mentioned in the conspiracy case was reportedly held at an address associated with him. Bhushan has also been connected to the recent anti-pollution protests, where left-leaning pro-Naxal groups raised slogans praising Madvi Hidma.

CASR has also recently criticised raids at Kashmir Times, where the authorities reportedly recovered ammunition. The collective also condemned the killing of Madvi Hidma in an anti-Naxal operation.

All of this shows a concerning pattern. The same organisations and individuals — including several who are named in UAPA cases or linked to Naxal revival efforts and the anti-Hindu Delhi riots — continue to appear together in the same networks. Their shared activities, repeated participation at each other’s events, and overlapping roles raise serious questions.

A deeper and more thorough investigation is necessary to understand the extent of these connections and to ensure that such networks do not harm national security under the cover of activism or dissent.