CPI and AAP leaders decry crackdown on Jantar Mantar protesters

Kumar argued that the arrest of activists Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were remanded to five days of judicial custody following protests near Jantar Mantar, reflects a dangerous trend of silencing dissent. The CPI leader also criticized the de-notification of Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site, stating that the capital requires a space where citizens can voice grievances without being labeled a public disruption. Legal representatives for the CJP have alleged that the activists were initially denied access to counsel and kept in the dark regarding the specific grounds for their detention.

AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj escalated the criticism by drawing parallels between the current administration’s tactics and the 1975 Emergency. He claimed that the government is orchestrating a pattern of filing false cases against opposition figures to facilitate arbitrary arrests. Bharadwaj characterized the police oversight of protest logistics—such as timing and crowd limits—as a direct violation of constitutional rights, questioning how a government can serve as the arbiter of the very demonstrations aimed against it. The ongoing agitation centers on alleged irregularities during the Special Intensive Revision exercise, a movement that shows no signs of abating despite the hardening stance of law enforcement.