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Mamata Banerjee condemns arrest of CJP leaders, backs youth

Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday condemned the arrest of Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, pledging her support to young people fighting for their democratic rights.

Addressing the youth in a post on X, Banerjee said, “your Didi is with you today and forever”.

She said generations had fought to protect democratic rights and urged people to continue the struggle together.

“We, and many generations before us, have fought strongly for our democratic rights. We must continue to do so,” Banerjee wrote.

Strongly condemning the arrests, she described the moment as a call for collective action to protect democracy.

“These moments are about us all, pledging and standing up to fight unitedly to protect our great democracy,” she said.

Rahul Gandhi vows justice for youth alleging police brutality

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday warned that those responsible for suppressing democratic voices would face justice, naming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

In a post on X, Rahul urged students and young people who had faced alleged police brutality or unlawful detention to preserve evidence of their experiences.

“The day is coming when those who seek to silence the voice of our democracy will face the harsh hand of justice,” Rahul wrote. He added that accountability would extend to everyone involved, “be it Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Gyanesh Kumar, or any common foot soldier.”

Rahul asked students and young people to document alleged police action through photographs and videos, saying the material would be essential.

“Peaceful protest is your right. We will not allow anyone to snatch it away,” he said, reaffirming his support for those protesting restrictions on demonstrations at Jantar Mantar.

BJP accuses Rahul Gandhi of misleading Public over CJP arrests

The BJP on Wednesday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of misleading the public over the police action against Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, arguing that the right to protest does not extend to breaking the law.

BJP national media convenor Ashish Usha Agarwal said in a post on X that the Constitution guarantees citizens the right to protest, but not to violate the law. He also argued that public spaces should not be turned into political battlegrounds to capture power.

The BJP’s response came after Gandhi criticised the Modi government over the remand of Ranka and Das, who were sent to five-day judicial custody.

Gandhi said waving the Tricolour during a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar was not a crime and described the jailing of young protesters as an act of “cowardice”.

Delhi Police debunks fake claim of attack at Rahul Gandhi’s residence

Delhi Police on Wednesday dismissed a viral social media post claiming that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s residence had come under attack and gunfire, calling the claim fake and warning against the spread of misinformation.

In a post on its official X handle, police said the video being circulated was old footage from an incident in December 2019 and had no link to recent events. They rejected claims of an attack at the residence of the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

Police also said legal action was being initiated against accounts allegedly involved in spreading the misleading claims.

The department urged social media users to verify information through official sources before sharing unconfirmed reports.

CPI(M) MP V Sivadasan arrested while heading to Jantar Mantar

CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP V Sivadasan was arrested at Windsor Place in Delhi on Wednesday while attempting to reach Jantar Mantar, reported the Hindustan Times. 

Police detain DYFI members during protest march in Delhi

Delhi Police detained members of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the CPI(M), on Wednesday after they attempted to march towards Jantar Mantar from Ferozeshah Road.

The protesters were stopped by police barricades as they sought to proceed towards Jantar Mantar, a designated protest venue whose status was recently withdrawn. Activists from DYFI and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) had joined the march to press their demands.

CJP founder Dipke compares leaders’ arrest to British rule

CJP Founder Abhijeet Dipke Questions Arrest of Leaders Over Tricolour

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke arrived in Delhi on Wednesday afternoon and questioned the arrest of party leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, who were sent to five days of judicial custody.

“Is unfurling the Tricolour in this country a crime? Ashutosh and Saurav have been sent to jail for five days. Why? Because they went to Jantar Mantar and unfurled the Tricolour,” Dipke told reporters, according to PTI.

Drawing a comparison with British rule, Dipke said freedom fighters had been arrested for unfurling the national flag in public places during the colonial era.

“The last time this happened was when the British ruled us. During British rule, freedom fighters who unfurled the Tricolour in public places were arrested and jailed,” he said.

Dipke also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the action against the CJP leaders echoed the treatment of freedom fighters under British rule.

“Narendra Modi is doing something similar,” he said.

M.A. Baby calls for broad campaign to hold Election Commission accountable

CPI(M) General Secretary M.A. Baby has called for a broad-based campaign to protect constitutional values and ensure accountability at institutions such as the Election Commission of India, saying opposition parties, civil society groups and mass organisations must join forces.

“The struggle to protect Constitutional values, accountability of Constitutional institutions like the Election Commission of India is a very important struggle which we may have to carry in a multidimensional manner,” Baby said, adding that the INDIA bloc was at the forefront of the effort, reported ANI.

He said student and youth organisations, public intellectuals and civil society groups were also part of the campaign. Baby referred to a proposed consultation involving figures such as Parakala Prabhakar, Prakash Raj and Tara Rao to discuss how different sections could contribute.

The campaign, he said, would seek the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, whom he called a corrupt “vote chor”, and push for changes to election laws granting immunity to the CEC and Election Commissioners.

Baby questioned the extent of that legal protection, saying it was greater than the immunity enjoyed by the President of India.

“This is an extraordinary situation,” he said, calling for different groups to unite. “So, there have to be different streams of struggle coming and merging in the ocean of struggle.”

Kharge accuses BJP of authoritarianism over SIR, Jantar Mantar restriction

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday accused the BJP of authoritarianism over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the removal of Jantar Mantar from Delhi’s designated protest sites. He alleged that critics of the government were being jailed and demonstrators subjected to police action.

Kharge’s remarks followed the remand of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) activists Sourav Das and Ashutosh Ranka to five days of judicial custody. Their associate Ajinkya Shinde was bound down for six months to maintain peace and good behaviour, Delhi Police said.

In a post on X, Kharge criticised Home Minister Amit Shah’s reported description of 13.3 crore people outside the SIR exercise as “infiltrators” and questioned the decision to remove Jantar Mantar as a protest venue.

“First vote theft, then ‘theft of the right to protest’—this is proof of BJP’s authoritarianism,” he wrote, demanding that authorities stop protecting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Kharge also alleged that young protesters were being beaten and women mistreated by police, while accusing RSS-affiliated groups of enjoying impunity.

Rahul Gandhi separately criticised the arrests, saying peaceful protest with the national flag was not a crime and declaring that “Jantar Mantar belongs to the people of India. We will reclaim it.”

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke described the situation as an “unofficial Emergency”, while AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Saurabh Bhardwaj also condemned the arrests.

Police said the three activists allegedly entered the denotified protest site through private premises on October 13 and obstructed officers. Two FIRs were registered in connection with the incident.

Police stop SFI-DYFI march demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation

Delhi Police stopped a joint protest march by the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) from Firoz Shah Road to Jantar Mantar on Wednesday. The protesters demanded Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and called for the restoration of Jantar Mantar as a designated protest venue.

The march comes days after authorities withdrew Jantar Mantar’s status as a protest site. The Delhi Police has designated Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in East Delhi as alternative venues, following recommendations from a committee constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The move has drawn criticism from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which has vowed to continue its campaign against Gyanesh Kumar and challenge the decision.

Meanwhile, police arrested three CJP activists over an alleged breach at Jantar Mantar on October 13. Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were remanded to five days in judicial custody, while Ajinkya Shinde was bound down for six months.