CJP demands immediate release of Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das after airport detentionIANS
Within minutes of the Delhi Police arresting Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, climate activist and Leh Apex Body (LAB) leader Sonam Wangchuk said an undeclared Emergency had been imposed in the country.
Wangchuk warned that if the arrested CJP leaders were not released by the following day, he would consider launching a padyatra to press the authorities for their release.
CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained at Delhi airport ahead of the party’s proposed protest at Jantar Mantar.
Delhi Police personnel boarded the aircraft carrying CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke after it landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) on Saturday.
Reacting to the arrests, Wangchuk said he had never imagined that the world’s largest democracy would be placed under an undeclared emergency.
“Yesterday, when I posted a message appealing for unity and peace during today’s protest, I had never imagined that the biggest democracy in the world would be under an undeclared emergency,” Wangchuk wrote on his social media account.
“I was happy there were so many leaders to lead the movement, but I now learn that they have all been arrested. I hope those arrested will be released soon. I will be compelled to consider an Anshan (fast) or a padyatra if they are not released by tomorrow,” he warned.
Golden Wangchuk
Wangchuk had earlier announced he would skip October 10 protest
On Friday, Wangchuk announced that he would not participate in the CJP’s proposed protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10, citing his preoccupation with preparations for the approaching winter in Ladakh.
Wangchuk referred to the Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz while listing the preparations he was involved in, including the construction of artificial glaciers to strengthen water security, experiments to improve preparedness for glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), and efforts to address more than 200 potential glacial hazards in the high Himalayas.
“Why I won’t be able to join you all in Delhi…! Despite all efforts of the government to hinder and damage our work, we continue to work for national security… making preparations as another winter comes,” Wangchuk wrote on X, extending his best wishes to the protesters and urging them to remain peaceful at all costs.
Quoting Faiz, he wrote, “Aur Bhi Gham Hain Zamaane Main Siyaast Ke Siva… Rahaten Aur Bhi Hain Vasl Ki Rahat Ke Siva.”
“Hence, I send my best wishes to all and urge the leaders of different groups to stay united and show statesmanship; meanwhile, I urge all the Gen Z friends to once again stay absolutely peaceful at all costs. This was the gift of Baapu that I tried to bring to Jantar Mantar in June; I hope we won’t let Baapu down,” he added in his social media post.
Wangchuk was among the prominent figures associated with the CJP’s July protest, when the youth-led movement took to the streets demanding the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities.
Wangchuk had also staged a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in support of the protesting students. He ended his indefinite fast on July 23 at a hospital in Gurugram in the presence of Union ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh.