‘Cockroach’ leaders sent to 5-day judicial custody

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were sent to five-day judicial custody on Wednesday for allegedly breaching Jantar Mantar.
CJP chief Abhijeet Dipke compared the arrest to the treatment of freedom fighters under British rule.
An Indian court ordered that two leaders of the youth-led party be detained in jail for five days, the party and police said on Wednesday, a day after they scaled barricades to enter a historic site popular for protests and chanted slogans demanding the election chief's resignation.
Abhijeet, who arrived in Delhi on Wednesday, called for a gathering with the Tricolour at Central Park tomorrow, asserting that unfurling the national flag is not a crime.
The detentions risk triggering fresh protests by youth supporters at a time when opposition groups and student bodies are holding almost daily demonstrations to demand Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over voter list revisions that critics say favour Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were among about a dozen people who jumped barricades on Tuesday to enter the grounds of the Jantar Mantar open air observatory in Delhi's central business district.
Police said this week that the site -- previously designated for demonstrations -- was no longer an official protest venue.
Ashutosh and Saurav were sent to jail for violating a legal undertaking they had 
given authorities when they were released from detention last week, their lawyer Abhisht Hela told reporters.
Delhi Police also said they were punished due to their "repeated violations" and "serious apprehensions" that they would "again violate law and instigate others to violate law" if released on bail.

CJP leader Ajinkya Shinde, who was released on a personal bond, said the party would not be "frightened" by its leaders' imprisonment.
"We will put an end to this dictatorial government," he said.
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday extended support to the CJP protests, calling the jailing of young people for peacefully waving the Tricolour “an act of cowardice”. 
Over the past few months, the Congress and the CJP found themselves on the same side of several issues - from exam paper leaks to the SIR exercise - but never shared the same stage. Both Rahul and Abhijeet Dipke largely kept their distance from each other, even on social media. 
That appeared to change on Wednesday when Rahul, for the first time, publicly came out in support of the CJP after its leaders were arrested for protesting at Jantar Mantar.
Student activists continued their protests in New Delhi amid crackdown, demanding the resignation of the CEC over alleged voter roll irregularities linked to the "special intensive revision".
Neha Bora, all-India president of the All India Students’ Association, has credited Bangladesh with showing the way for Gen-Z movements across India, saying the movement that began in Bangladesh for democratic and voting rights has inspired young people in the neighbouring country.
‘We extend our solidarity to you. We take inspiration from you, lessons from the movements that you lead,’ she added.
She made the remarks in a video message congratulating the Socialist Students Front on its sixth national conference.
Meanwhile, traders’ associations and industry bodies across the country have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, raising concerns over business disruptions. 
In separate letters sent between Monday and Wednesday, the organisations said that while they respected the right to protest, demonstrations should be conducted in a manner that does not disrupt commercial activities, particularly during the festive season.
On the other hand, two groups of people associated with Harvard University have issued contrasting statements over the 10 October Delhi protests and police action. While one condemned the alleged police brutality, the other questioned attacks on India's constitutional institutions. The BJP has now joined in the row, questioning the use of Harvard's name to lend credibility to campaigns.
Days after the protests on 12 October, a group of 100 Harvard-affiliated individuals condemned police brutality against protesters in Delhi. This had prompted the Harvard Club of India to clarify that the statement did not represent its official position. CJP co-convenor Saurav Das welcomed the statement, saying, "Harvard folks condemn those hard at work to brutalise protesters."

Recommended Stories

• PM: Promote cultural heritage among youth
• Stocks steady as chipmakers recover ahead of US inflation data