I am not a traitor: Binayak Sen

Civil rights activist Binayak Sen said that he was not a “traitor” and had never betrayed the country.

Sen, who was serving a life sentence for sedition and links with Naxalites, was granted bail by the Supreme Court on Friday. Three days later, he walked out of Raipur central jail late Monday evening.

“I am not a traitor and I know in my heart that I have never betrayed our country,” Sen told reporters at his residence.

The rights activist said he would continue to work to protect the human rights in the country. “It is not my job to ask Naxalites to lay down arms as government has to take the initiative,” he said, adding that he will work for establishing peace in the region.

Sen said Salwa Judum—an alleged government-backed people’s movement against Naxalites—should be immediately stopped for establishing peace in restive region. He will oppose such movement, he added. The rights activist welcomed law minister Veerappa Moily's stand that the country's sedition laws needed a "relook".

He, however, said people should join hands to repeal the sedition law that was actually drafted by the British regime.

This would make us release that we are citizen of an independent nation, he added.