Student leaders, authors, journalists and artistes have condemned the arrests of left wing activists, saying it was a ploy to divert attention from the gravity of the Sanatan Sanstha conspiracy to carry out serial bomb attacks during Eid and Ganesh Chaturthi.

"We, the undersigned, are shocked by the serial raids across the country on the homes of activists and public intellectuals who are critical of the government and the ruling party," said a joint statement signed by Shehla Rashid Shora, former vice-president, JNU Students' Union, Mohit Pandey, former president, JNU Students' Union, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, author-journalist and many others.