New Delhi: Cockroach Janata Party’s Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das at a news conference Sunday raised several questions and doubts regarding the action taken against them as well as thousands of protesters who came out to march on the outfit’s call.
Our phones were kept (from us) for more than 24 hours. He said the more than 40,000 security personnel at Jantar Mantar had made the place a fortress, inconveniencing residents. They were released Sunday morning. He was also asked online if he had signed a bond to discontinue protesting. He wrote, “Haven’t signed any bond that says we won’t protest. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Delhi | Silver Rate in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Petrol Price in Delhi | Diesel Price in Delhi | CNG Price in Delhi | LPG Price in Delhi Stay updated with the latest Delhi news.
“We told the police they could take our phones, but they must provide a seizure memo and follow the law,” he said. We fear they may have been hacked or cloned (our phones), and that documents or evidence may have been planted against us, as has happened with other activists,” he said. The duo said the movement would continue till chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resigns. “Our protests will continue until accountability is fixed, not just in Delhi but across India,” Das said. CJP also alleged that “right-wing extremist groups” were attempting to provoke violence and had “misbehaved with women in Connaught Place. Ranka said CJP members had attempted another march towards Jantar Mantar Sunday but were detained and assaulted. “What information does Kumar have about govt or its leadership?” he asked. Ranka who, along with Das, is one of the co-conveners of CJP, called the CJP trio’s police detention a “kidnap”. “If they think this will break our spirit, they are mistaken,” they said. Criticising the restrictions on reporters that police had laid down, he said: “This is an Emergency-like situation for journalism. CJP legal affairs head Ratna Singh alleged: “I was followed, my car was chased, and I was photographed as though I were a criminal.” .Singh said that 30 to 35 police personnel surrounded her and told her that she could do one of two things — either accompany them to a detention centre or return home and remain there. She said she was held inside a car. “How can a citizen be kept in wrongful confinement like this?” she asked. Viraaj Devang, the national president of AISF, who was also at the news conference, said: “Delhi was turned into a cantonment. Referring to the detention of Dhruv Rathee, she said: “People who were not in uniform entered Dhruv Rathee’s home and took him away without a warrant. Ranka said Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah were to blame for the breach of peace. The restrictions and detentions had damaged India’s image in the world, he said.
In a long interaction with journalists at the Press Club of India, along with CJP member Ratna Singh, SFI member Aishe Ghosh and other Left-backed student activists, Das spoke about the fear that their phones may have been hacked into after being seized. “We were not even allowed to speak to our lawyers. Members of Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and All India Students’ Federation (AISF) faced similar treatment at the hands of the cops, Ranka added. Das asked why the authorities were going to such lengths to protect Kumar. The three were plucked out of a flight Saturday morning when they landed in Delhi. CJP also alleged that student leaders and protesters were being detained and beaten up. The outfit alleged that Dipke, whose grandmother died Saturday during his detention, was denied contact with his family. Das also brought an allegation of custodial torture of protesters and questioned the lack of intervention by National Human Rights Commission. He also wondered why govt had not called them for a dialogue. Ordinary citizens were effectively placed under house arrest, while many protesters arriving from outside Delhi were detained. SFI national joint secretary Ghosh also questioned the manner in which protesters and activists were detained. This cannot be called the rule of law. In a message directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi , Rathee Sunday warned against suppressing dissent to the point where people no longer fear the consequences of speaking out. Dipke, who was not at the news conference as he had returned to Maharashtra to be with his family, posted on X: “Modi, as PM, is an embarrassment to India. Never has this country seen a bigger coward and bully. We will hit the streets again”. Shortly after the news conference ended, commotion broke out at Press Club of India as police entered the premises. CJP members attempted to leave through the rear gate. Police, after failing to find them at the news conference venue, rushed towards the rear exit. The resulting commotion took some time to subside. Download the TOI App.