Congress MP and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday slammed Delhi Police and the Central government after (CJP) leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were sent to five days’ judicial custody, saying that Jantar Mantar would be reclaimed.
In a post on X, Gandhi shared a screenshot of PTI’s report about the CJP leaders being sent to custody and wrote, “Waving the Tricolour at Jantar Mantar in a peaceful protest is not a crime. Jailing youth for it is an act of cowardice. Students. Youth. Journalists. The INDIA bloc. Different banners, one cause. All protests are one: citizens demanding their constitutional rights.” He added, “Jantar Mantar belongs to the people of India. We will reclaim it.”
Das and Ranka, along with another CJP leader, Ajinkya Shinde, were detained by Delhi Police on Tuesday after they tried to enter Jantar Mantar, which the authorities had de-notified as a designated protest site. A case was subsequently registered.
According to reports, the three leaders tried to break through the cordon and enter Jantar Mantar. In a video shared by founder Abhijeet Dipke, protesters, including Ranka and Das, were seen climbing over a locked gate to enter Jantar Mantar.
Holding the national flag, protesters also chanted slogans as they continued to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) .
Advocate Abhisht Hela, who represents the two, told LiveLaw that Delhi Police alleged Ranka and Das had urged people to gather at Jantar Mantar, “thereby carrying out criminal trespass.”
According to , the accused also violated a peace bond they had previously signed before a Special Executive Magistrate at Delhi Cantt Police Station on 11 October.
The action against the CJP leaders came amid heightened tensions in the national capital following a series of protests held by the CJP and other organisations over the past few days against the CEC amid allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision () of electoral rolls.
On Wednesday, Gandhi warned that those responsible for allegedly assaulting protesters seeking the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar in the capital would face consequences. Addressing a press conference alongside NSUI activists who claimed they had been beaten up by police during protests in Delhi, Gandhi said, “As I said in my press conference, this is India. ji, take a good look at this. There is no Hindu here, no Muslim, no one of any specific caste; there is no woman, no man. There is one voice, one protest. It is the voice of India, and you are standing against this voice—the Prime Minister is standing against this voice. I suggest to you: do not stand against this voice. No one can stand against this voice.”
He also urged protesters to preserve evidence of the alleged incidents. Addressing Delhi Police, he said, “To the police personnel, I have told all the students to keep a video record and send that evidence to us. When this entire matter concludes, we will utilize all that evidence and ensure that everyone who needs to be punished is punished, from PM , Gyanesh Kumar, Amit Shah, and even the constable who is raising a hand against our children.”
On Wednesday, CJP founder slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a post on X, he said, “Show some guts, @narendramodi. If you’re so determined to crush dissent, have the courage to officially declare an Emergency instead of hiding behind these cowardly tactics.”
He also questioned whether unfurling the national flag at Jantar Mantar was wrong.
