Delhi Police detained CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka at Jantar Mantar on October 13 after they allegedly reached the site despite a restriction on demonstrations there, according to Live Hindustan – NCR. The police have not disclosed where the two were taken, the report said.
The detention comes two days after a court released Das and Ranka, along with CJP leader Abhijit Dipke, on conditions following their detention and preventive arrest on October 10. The three had been taken into custody before a planned protest at Jantar Mantar, after being detained at Delhi airport.
They were later produced before an executive magistrate and released after furnishing a bond of Rs 50,000, according to the report. Their release conditions included a requirement that they would not engage in any activity that could breach peace for one year and would maintain good behaviour.
The immediate dispute centres on Delhi Police’s decision to remove Jantar Mantar from the list of designated locations for protests and demonstrations. The change was made through a standing order issued by Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar on October 11, the report said.
Under the revised arrangement described in the report, demonstrations are to be held at Ramlila Maidan, Burari Maidan and the CBD ground in east Delhi. The order changes the administrative geography of public protest in the capital by shifting demonstrations away from Jantar Mantar, a site long associated with political gatherings and public campaigns.
CJP founder Abhijit Dipke criticised the decision and warned that the party would turn the entire country into a Jantar Mantar. Das also said the party did not accept the police decision and would not comply with what he called an arbitrary order.
The party and opposition groups have been demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Dipke alleged that the Narendra Modi government was targeting citizens to protect Kumar. Those allegations were reported as statements by the CJP leader and were not independently established in the supplied report.
The latest detention therefore follows both a new police restriction on the use of Jantar Mantar and continuing political protests linked to electoral-roll revision. The next publicly reported developments are expected to concern the police action against Das and Ranka and the implementation of the revised list of designated demonstration sites.
