Opposition leaders and activists lashed out at the Centre, blaming them for the death of the Jesuit priest and activist Stan Swamy on Monday. 

Activists are saying that the Centre should be held accountable for the “inhuman” and “ruthless treatment” meted out to the 84-year-old. 

Opposition is also using the term “custodial death” that alleges that the Centre and the judges who repeated denied bail to the Parkinson’s patient have “his blood on their hands”. 

Swamy was arrested back in October 2020 under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in connection with the Elgar Parishad case. 

Swamy died at the Holy Family Hospital on Monday in Mumbai where he was admitted on May 29 after having a cardiac arrest. 

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This is what the Opposition is saying: 

1: Former President of Congress and senior leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted that Swamy deserved justice and humaneness. 

2: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said that he had strongly opposed the arrest of the activist and now the Union Government should be held accountable for its “absolute apathy” and failure to provide timely medical care to Swamy. 

3: CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury sent out tweets on Monday saying that the death of Father Stan Swamy deeply outraged him. 

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Calling the UAPA a draconian act he said that Swamy was met with inhuman treatment with no charge established. 

He further urged the Centre to release all those arrested under the UAPA and Sedition cases. 

4: Tamil Nadu state committee said that they will hold a state-wide demonstration on July 8 to protest the injustice that Swamy faced. 

CPI said that Swami was denied medical treatment. “The party demands arrest of all those responsible for foisting false cases on him, his continued detention and inhuman treatment”, read a statement released by the party. 

5: A member of the Communist Party of India Kavita Krishnan, politburo, tweeted, “It’s over. Modi and Shah have accomplished the custodial killing of the gentle Jesuit social worker Fr Stan Swamy, who spent his life serving the oppressed. I hope the judges who denied him bail never get to sleep at night: they have blood on their hands.”

In another tweet, she tagged the image of Father Stan in the Holy Family hospital with the retired Principal of St Xavier’s College. She further points out the injustice met out to the man who fought all his life for society and then had to die while in custody. 

6: Anti-graft crusader and RTI activist Anjali Bhardwaj said that the death of Swamy was an institutional murder. 

Shabnam Hashmi, a rights activist tweeted that, ” Fr. Stan Swamy passes away as an undertrial in state custody under fake charges under UAPA, NIA, sedition. This is not death, this is custodial murder. Government has to be held accountable”. 

Other than Parkinson’s disease Swamy also had other ailments. While in custody he tested positive for coronavirus as well. 

According to Mihir Desai, Swami’s lawyer, he was the oldest person in India who was charged under the UAPA.