Activists' arrests shouldn't be politically motivated: Maha Cong

The government must take action against culprits but its steps should not be politically motivated, the Maharashtra Congress said on the arrest of five prominent Left-wing activists on suspected Maoist links today.

"Truth must come out before the people. The government must go to the root of the issue. Culprits, if there are any, should be caught. But the action should not be politically motivated," Maharashtra Congress general secretary Sachin Sawant said.

The police raided the homes of prominent Left-wing activists in several states and arrested at least five of them for suspected Maoist links, sparking a chorus of outraged protests from human rights defenders.

The raids were carried out as part of a probe into the violence between Dalits and the upper caste Peshwas at Koregaon-Bhima village near Pune after an event called Elgar Parishad, or conclave, on December 31 last year.