NEW DELHI: Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Tuesday slammed the government after Delhi Police detained Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das and Ajinkya Shinde near Jantar Mantar, questioning whether hoisting the national flag at the protest site had become a violation of the law.Dipke’s remarks came after the the CJP leaders and other protesters allegedly climbed over barricades and entered Jantar Mantar, which Delhi Police recently removed from its list of designated protest venues.Speaking to reporters, Dipke said, “Has hoisting the national flag become a violation of the law?”“Our team went to Jantar Mantar this morning and hoisted the tricolor. When did hoisting the tricolor become a violation? Whoever thinks that hoisting the tricolor at Jantar Mantar is a violation is a traitor. And if Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka, Ajinkya Shinde, and the others who were arrested for hoisting the tricolor are charged, then there should be strict action taken against it. How can you arrest someone for hoisting the tricolor? What kind of country is this? What kind of rule is this?” Dipke questioned.The CJP founder said the protest would continue and urged Delhi Police to ensure that those detained could consult their lawyers.“The whole country will become Jantar Mantar. Jantar Mantar is not just a location; it is a spirit of resistance,” Dipke said.“We hope that the Delhi Police will let them talk to their lawyers. It shouldn’t happen that, as it happened to me, they are kept for 24 hours without being allowed to speak to a lawyer. As a legal procedure, they should be allowed to speak to a lawyer because you cannot just pick someone up like this,” he added.Calling the police action a “greatest example of a dictatorial mentality,” Dipke accused the government of treating public spaces as its private property.“The dictatorship doesn’t want anyone to go to Jantar Mantar and hoist the tricolor. They think the whole country is their personal property. It is not like that; Jantar Mantar belongs to the people of this country, the 140 crore Indians,” he said.“We will hoist the tricolor there, and we will keep hoisting it until Jyanesh Kumar resigns,” he added.Earlier in the day, Delhi Police detained Ranka, Das and Shinde after they allegedly crossed barricades and entered Jantar Mantar. In a post on X, Dipke said the activists had been detained after entering the site with the national flag.“Cockroaches with the Tiranga sneaked into Jantar Mantar early this morning before they were picked up by Delhi Police. Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das and Ajinkya along with other team members have been detained. You cannot denotify the resistance, @narendramodi,” he wrote.Ranka also posted a message on X saying, “Hands Off Jantar Mantar.” A video shared by Ranka showed protesters climbing over barricades and entering the Jantar Mantar premises. Security personnel arrived shortly afterwards and took the protesters into custody, according to reports.
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The detentions came a day after Delhi Police removed Jantar Mantar from the list of designated protest venues in the national capital, ending its long-standing status as a site for demonstrations.In a notice issued by Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar, the police said the Union home ministry had constituted a committee to identify alternative venues where citizens could organise protests and demonstrations. The decision followed the committee’s recommendations.The three designated venues are Ramlila Ground in Central Delhi, Burari Ground in North Delhi and CBD Ground in East Delhi.Delhi Police said a revised standard operating procedure (SOP) governing protests at the three locations would be issued separately. The order partially modifies Standing Order No. L&O/48/22, dated April 28, 2022.The development comes amid protests in Delhi demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
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