New Delhi: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has thanked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for publicly supporting party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were sent to five days of judicial custody following a protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.
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Thank you, LoP @RahulGandhi sir, for speaking out against the illegal arrest of @AshutoshRanka & @SauravDassss
— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) October 14, 2026
“Thank you, LoP @RahulGandhi sir, for speaking out against the illegal arrest of @AshutoshRanka & @SauravDassss,” Dipke wrote.
Rahul Gandhi Says 'Tricolour Is Not a Crime'
Rahul Gandhi had criticized the action against the CJP leaders, saying that peaceful protest and waving the national flag should not be treated as a crime.
Waving the Tricolor at Jantar Mantar in a peaceful protest is not a crime. Jailing youth for it is an act of cowardice.
Students. Youth. Journalists. The INDIA block. Different banners, one cause. All protests are one: citizens demanding their constitutional rights.
Jantar Mantar belongs to the people of India. We will reclaim it.
—Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 14, 2026
“Waving the Tricolour at Jantar Mantar in a peaceful protest is not a crime. Jailing youth for it is an act of cowardice,” he posted on X.
In another message, Gandhi said, “Students. Youth. Journalists. The INDIA bloc. Different banners, one cause. All protests are one: citizens demanding their constitutional rights. Jantar Mantar belongs to the people of India. We will reclaim it.”
Why Were CJP Leaders Sent to Judicial Custody?
Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained after CJP members allegedly entered the barricaded Jantar Mantar premises and displayed the Tricolour during a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and alleged irregularities linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
A video shared on social media showed the leaders climbing over the gates, with Ranka raising the national flag inside the premises. Police subsequently intervened.
The action came after Jantar Mantar was removed from the list of designated protest venues. A court subsequently remanded Das and Ranka to five days of judicial custody. Another CJP leader, Ajinkya Shinde, was reportedly released on a personal bond.
CJP Alleges Improper Handling of Arrests
CJP lawyer Ratna Singh alleged that the leaders were taken to Parliament Street police station in a private van during the early hours and were not allowed to meet their lawyers until late at night. These claims were made publicly by the party's legal team and have not been independently established in the available reports.
The case has sparked a wider debate over restrictions on public demonstrations in the national capital and the right to peaceful protest. Rahul Gandhi's public support for the CJP leaders has added a political dimension to the controversy, with the Congress leader framing the issue around constitutional rights and access to protest spaces.