'Jailing youth is cowardice act': Rahul Gandhi backs jailed CJP leaders in first public show of support

In the first public display of support for the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday (Oct 14) slammed the arrest of Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka for breaching the Jantar Mantar after it was de-notified as protest site. The support evoked a prompt thank you message from the CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke. CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were on Wednesday morning remanded to five-day judicial custody for trespassing at Jantar Mantar.

"Waving the Tricolour at Jantar Mantar in a peaceful protest is not a crime. Jailing youth for it is an act of cowardice," Rahul Gandhi posted on X. “Students. Youth. Journalists. The INDIA bloc. Different banners, one cause. All protests are one: citizens demanding their constitutional rights.” Indicating that the Congress will also fight the Centre's move to denotify Jantar Mantar as a protest site, Rahul Gandhi added that people will reclaim it. Jantar Mantar belongs to the people of India. We will reclaim it," he added.

Also Read: CJP protest: SC orders free movement across Delhi, reviews barricades, bars illegal detentions

This comes amid reports claiming that Rahul Gandhi is avoiding to share stage with the CJP leadership earlier in July and also during the latest protest. On October 10, Rahul Gandhi invited all Opposition parties to come together to protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Rahul and Priyanka Vadra made appearance with AISA leader Neha Bora during the march to Supreme Court. She was also invited to Gandhi's tea party on Tuesday along with several other civil society groups. The CJP, however, was not invited to the gathering.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke thanked Rahul Gandhi for the show of support.

Also Read: ‘Haven’t signed bond saying we won’t protest’: CJP’s Dipke vows to hit streets again

Reacting to the court's order, CJP leader Ajinkya Shinde accused the government of misusing its powers to curtail people's fundamental rights. He said the two leaders had gone to Jantar Mantar along with him and other party volunteers, where they waved the national flag and raised the slogan 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'. "You may know that Ashutosh, Saurav Das and I, along with volunteers from CJP, went to Jantar Mantar.We simply waved the Indian national flag and raised the slogan of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'," Shinde said. Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) chief spokesperson Saurav Das and its national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka were detained by the Delhi Police on Tuesday (Oct 13) after they and several other leaders of their party jumped and entered Jantar Mantar's locked gates and claimed that it has been breached.