Bharat Gandhi alias Vishwatma is author of a number of books including ‘Rediscovering Democracy.’ He is the leader of Voters Party International and originally belongs to Janupur, Uttar Pradesh. He is known for advocating a monthly pension of around Rs. 6,000 per month (according to 2016 rates) for every voter for his/her role in running the democratic system just like any other person in the legislature, executive, or judiciary. It may be thought of as minimum basic income which is being advocated by some economists and political parties like Congress as well even though for the poorest 20% of the population. Bharat Gandhi has also floated a concept of Refundable Donation Receipt where every donation made by a citizen to the political party will be refunded with interest after getting a finance bill approved by the Parliament. He has been advocating the establishment of a world government too and has proposed a Global Alliance on Participation and Peace.
VPI is a genuine political party which has contested elections in the past and got 50,355 votes in 7 constituencies of Assam, 44,245 votes in 7 constituencies of Bihar, 7,285 votes in 5 constituencies of Uttar Pradesh, 5,099 votes in one constituency of Jharkhand and 314 votes in one constituency of Delhi during the respective last assembly elections in these states. Over the past year they have also started working in Nagaland.
Bharat Gandhi was arrested on 13 March 2020 from a cadre meeting in Dimapur of VPI along with Chuki Haralu, party’s Nagaland coordinator, Prajit Basumatary, Security Chief of the party and three other security volunteers. While others were released after some interrogation and making them sign on a piece of paper by police from Dimapur East police station, Bharat Gandhi was illegally held for 10 days by police before being sent to judicial custody after being booked under sections 419, 420, 468, 471 of IPC.
Bharat Gandhi got bail on 11 May 2020 from High Court bench in Kohima as the police were not able to file a charge sheet which shows they have not been able to prove that VPI or Bharat Gandhi are cheating people or are committing any kind of fraud. By putting him in jail the Nagaland government has violated his Constitutional and democratic rights. His party colleagues, Shivakant Gorakhpuri and Naveen Kumar, who went to secure his release were kidnapped from a Dimapur hotel on 19 May and taken to a camp of an insurgent group where a demand to pay Rs. 1 crore was made to them. When they expressed their inability to pay they were finally released on 27 May but on the condition that they will pay Rs. 32.5 lakhs within a week.
We would also like to make it clear that VPI is not in a position to pay any kind of ramson as it is a party not financed by some capitalists but runs on donations from ordinary people.
We demand that Bharat Gandhi’s safe return to Delhi or Lucknow should be ensured in the security of some Central Security Forces and any attempt to kidnap him for ransom must be prevented by the Nagaland government.
Sandeep Pandey, Vice President, Phone: 0522 2355978, ashaashram@yahoo.com
Faisal Khan, Member, National Executive, Mobile: 9999746196, faisalkj2002@yahoo.co.in
