Act of cowardice: Rahul, Oppn leaders slam jailing of CJP's Saurav Das, Ranka

Cockroach Janta Party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were jailed for breaching barricades and entering Jantar Mantar, which was recently denotified as a designated protest location.

In Short

• Rahul Gandhi condemns 5-day jail for CJP's Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka
• MK Stalin expresses solidarity, Kejriwal questions arrest, Abhishek Banerjee takes swipe at BJP
• Abhijit Dipke accuses govt of crushing dissent, challenges PM to declare Emergency

Congress MP and other Opposition leaders have criticised the five-day judicial custody of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka for trespassing into Jantar Mantar, which was recently denotified as a designated protest site.

“Waving the Tricolour at Jantar Mantar in a peaceful protest is not a crime. Jailing youth for it is an act of cowardice,” Gandhi said in a post on X.

The Congress leader said students, young people, journalists and the INDIA bloc were united by a common cause despite protesting under different banners.

“Different banners, one cause. All protests are one: citizens demanding their constitutional rights,” he said and asserted that Jantar Mantar belonged to the people of India and vowed to reclaim the protest site.

Earlier in the day, Das and Ranka were sent to Tihar Jail on charges of violating their peace bonds which they signed on October 10 and trespassing into Jantar Mantar without any authorisation. CJP leader Ajinkya Shinde was also placed under preventive arrest, but was freed after signing a peace bond.

Also criticising the police action, DMK supremo MK Stalin expressed solidarity with Ranka and Das, and asserted that his party was ready to provide them with all necessary legal representation and support.

On his part, former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal questioned whether waving the Tricolour could be considered a crime.

Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee took a swipe at the BJP, calling it a “Pakistanified Bharat”. He said the “so-called biggest nationalists” were arresting citizens for unfurling and waving the Tricolour in their own country.

The police action comes amid heightened security in the national capital following a series of protests by the CJP and other organisations against Gyanesh Kumar and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

On Monday, Delhi Police denotified Jantar Mantar as a designated venue for protests and demonstrations, naming three alternative sites for such gatherings. The order partially modifies an earlier standing order dated April 28, 2022, which had designated Jantar Mantar as a protest venue.

DIPKE ATTACKS GOVT

Reacting to the development, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke accused the Central government of crushing dissent.

“Their fault? Unfurling the Tricolour at Jantar Mantar,” Dipke said in a post on X.

In a direct message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, “Show some guts. If you're so determined to crush dissent, have the courage to officially declare an Emergency instead of hiding behind these cowardly tactics".

Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Dipke questioned what offence the CJP leaders had committed and said it was cowardly to keep people in custody for five days for waving the Tricolour at Jantar Mantar.

“That didn't even happen during the Emergency (imposed by Indira Gandhi in 1975),” he said.

“Waving the Tricolour has become the worst sin in this country, such that people are sent to judicial custody for five days for it. So I want to say to Narendra Modi, don't be such a big coward; show some courage. If you want to impose an Emergency, then do it officially if you have guts,” he added.

- Ends