India’s youth driven Cockroach Janta Party or CJP reported on Tuesday that several of its top leaders were detained after they entered the famous Jantar Mantar protest ground in New Delhi. The site had been blocked by police for days. Opposition groups and supporters of the movement have been holding street protests recently. They are demanding the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner of India. They accuse the election body of changing voter lists in a way that helps Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling party.
The Election Commission of India has firmly denied all charges of wrongdoing. It says it runs free and fair elections in the world’s largest democracy. On Monday, Delhi Police announced that Jantar Mantar was removed from the list of official places where people can hold protests. The iconic location in the heart of the capital has seen many major demonstrations over the years. Yellow metal barricades now surround the area and a large number of police officers guard it.
Despite the heavy security, a video shared by CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke showed activists climbing over the barricades. They ran into the open space waving the national flag. Police quickly chased and detained them. The group posted online that they had managed to sneak inside and reclaim Jantar Mantar. Among those taken into custody were leaders Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Ajinkya Shinde. All of them are currently in police custody according to the party.
Delhi Police had suggested three other official locations as alternatives for public gatherings. Jantar Mantar has long been the main stage for protests in the capital. Earlier this year the same group held demonstrations there that forced the education minister to resign over an examination related controversy. Abhijeet Dipke reacted strongly to the ban. He said authorities cannot simply cancel the right to resist and tagged the Prime Minister in his message.
Meanwhile Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke at a business event in New Delhi on the same day. He described India as the mother of democracy. He noted that people in the country openly discuss many issues and share different views. He did not mention the ongoing protests or the detentions directly. The situation continues to draw attention as young activists keep pressing for changes in how elections are managed.
