CJP protest LIVE: ‘We will not go back’, says Saurav Das in presser, urges continuation of protests

CJP protest LIVE: “It’s a scared government. Police went door to door to harass protesters and their families from Friday night till Saturday. They went to volunteers’ houses and harassed the. They created fear in the minds of their parents. Whatever Delhi Police is doing shows they are puppets. When I landed in Delhi , I was followed by IB. We even confronted them. They chased us like we are criminals. Their hands were shaking when we asked them about their names. Four police personnel came to my apartment,” said CJP’s legal affairs head, Ratna Singh.

“They harassed my flatmates by ringing doorbell in the morning . Later, when I left and was sitting in car. All of a sudden, four cars cams and detained me by surrounding me from two sides. I was sitting between 4 cars for 9 hours in Jangpura. This caused problem for all residents. They kept saying they got orders from above. 30-35 officials came and said either I should come to detention center or get house arrested. How can you wrongfully confine us,” she added.

CJP protest LIVE: “Delhi Police did not give us formal detention notice; our phones were seized, weren’t allowed to contact lawyer,” said CJP’s Saurav Das.

CJP protest LIVE: “The government has completely lost it…all to protect Gyanesh Kumar who’s traitor no. 1. The government is scared that these youth who are awakened will seek answers. Hence, they are resorting to violence,” said CJP’s Saurav Das in a presser on Sunday.

“I appeal to youth to stage peaceful protests on roads. This system is corrupt and running for service of two people. Modi and Shah.”

CJP protest LIVE: CJP’s Saurav Das on Sunday also claimed that Independent journalists were being assualted. He further slammed Delhi Police for entering Bangla Sahib forcefully with shoes and weapons to detain protestors.

“Independent journalists are being assaulted. They ask journalists to wear name tag. Independent journalists, who are covering genZ movement, are also being harassed,” he said.

“The government of India is at war with journalism. Also, Delhi Police entered Bangla Sahib forcefully, with shoes, with weapons and detained protesters. They forced gurudwara management to remove protesters. Whoever behaves like this with our Sikh brothers or with a place of worship….”

“The end is very near for this government. I request Sikh brothers to help us and fight against them. There’s fear in our country. All of this is being done for one person…to secure Gyanesh Kumar.”

“I want to ask what information does Gyanesh Kumar have that government is protecting them? Does he know something about 2024 elections.”

CJP protest LIVE: CJP’s Saurav Das on Sunday alleged that right-wing groups instigated violence at Jantar Mantar and no FIR was field against them.

“They are assaulting protesters. A CJP leader, Pranay, was assaulted in custody. Where is NHRC? Are they sleeping ? Where is SC? You must have seen right wing groups coming to Delhi in groups. They just want to create chaos and violence. They do violence but police lodge case against protesters,” he said in a presser.

CJP protest LIVE: In a press conference on Sunday, CJP’s Saurav Das said, “The entire country is facing an emergency like situation. The protesters just want to put out their problems in front of the govt. But today, the state is at war with its own citizens. Entire delhi is like a fort with 40,000 personnel. They are trying to give a negative image to our movement…by shutting 50+ metro stations, shops, roads. They want to put the genZ movement in bad light. When we landed, police immediately jumped into the stairs leading to the plane and abducted us. This is the same govt that sent Nirav Modi and Vijaya Mallaya to abroad on planes. We knew we would get detained but we were abducted like this.”

“They gave us no papers or grounds of detention. They seized our phones forcefully using female cops. We still gave our phones and asked for seizure memo but they refused to do so. They took us in different private cars. I was in RK Puram. Ashutosh was in Ballabgarh. Abhijeet was somewhere else. We have a legal right to a lawyer but police said no. They said that under detention, we have no rights. Imagine what they must be doing to others. We were not allowed to meet lawyers. We suspect what all they must have done to our phones. We think they hacked our phones. Or cloned our phones. Maybe they planted evidence. And this is a rational doubt. Since they gave us no document and had our phones for over 24 hours.”

CJP protest LIVE: Cockroach Janta Party co-convenor Abhishek Rathi on Sunday said, “EC is compromised. Yesterday, you saw how all three of us were abducted inside a plane. Dipke’s grandmother died yesterday. The police was so inhumane when they informed him. They came to tell with a camera and mic. They wanted to make a spectacle out of this. Dipke kept saying his parents get anxious and have heart issues.”

In a press conference, he said, “He kept insisting to talk to his relatives but police didn’t budge. Even after someone died, they remained inhumane. Today, after being released, Dipke has now left for the last rites. I want to clear that the fight is now on. Modi and Shah should be ashamed that they made this into a war.”

CJP protest LIVE: “We condemn this crackdown on protesters. All those detained should be released, and FIRs must be withdrawn. I have never seen such a situation in Delhi,” says CPI general secretary D Raja.

CJP protest LIVE: The CJP on Sunday said its leaders Ankit Bharadwaj, Anam, Mukesh All-rounder, Balakrishna and Sudhir Sangwan were detained while protesting peacefully.

Reiterating its resolve to continue the agitation, the group said, “We will neither back down nor be intimidated. This is the beginning of the end of this dictatorship.”

CJP protest LIVE: Members of the All India Youth Federation (AIYF) raised slogans against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as an anti-riot vehicle equipped with tear gas guns remained parked at the spot.

Police subsequently removed the protesters from the area amid heightened security in Delhi over demonstrations against the CEC.

– inputs via Hemani Bhandari

CJP protest LIVE: CJP leader Saurav Das on Sunday said the group would continue to demand accountability despite the action taken against protesters during the October 10 demonstration in Delhi against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

In a statement, Das accused the Narendra Modi-led government of using force and intimidation against citizens exercising their democratic rights, and alleged that Gyanesh Kumar was central to the government’s survival.

“The unprecedented use of force, intimidation and threats against citizens simply exercising their democratic rights has exposed the government completely,” he said.

Das added that the younger generation would not be intimidated or silenced and vowed that the CJP would return to the protest with renewed strength.

“We are not backing down. We are returning with full strength!” he said.

CJP protest LIVE: This is Abhijeet Dipke’s ₹50,000 bond to maintain peace for year after which he was released by court.

CJP protest LIVE: On the CJP protest, AAP leader Gopal Rai said, “It was a black day in India’s political history. The Modi government imposed a ‘black emergency’ on the country. For the first time, permission was denied for a peaceful protest. Trains were cancelled, and the Delhi Metro was shut down on such a large scale for the first time. Police were deployed in huge numbers across Delhi and the country. This is a major blow to India’s democratic history.”

CJP protest LIVE: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said he and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi will meet Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Monday to apprise him of the state of democracy in the country. Kharge also accused the Narendra Modi-led government of undermining the autonomy of the Election Commission to facilitate alleged “vote chori”.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Kharge said both leaders had written to the CJI seeking an appointment between 4pm and 5pm on Monday.

“Tomorrow, we are also going to meet the Chief Justice of India. I have written a letter, and Rahul ji has also written a letter. We have set a time between 4:00 and 5:00 PM. We will apprise him of the circumstances. We cannot demand anything from him; only with folded hands will we submit our request,” he said, reported ANI.

CJP protest LIVE: CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke said he was heading to his village to be with his family during a moment of grief, while fellow leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka would address a press conference in Delhi shortly.

In a statement, Dipke said the CJP would not back down despite the action against its members.

“The CJP will neither back down nor be intimidated. October 10 will go down as the beginning of the end of this dictatorship,” he said.

CJP protest LIVE: Congress Mallikarjun Kharge accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah of undermining democratic norms, describing the situation in the country as an “undeclared emergency”.

“In the country, chaos is created by the Home Minister and the Prime Minister. An undeclared emergency is being declared. So, for that we fight,” he said while speaking to reporters in Bengaluru.

CJP protest LIVE: Police detained protesters in Delhi’s Connaught Place on Sunday amid heightened security in the Capital over demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

One protester was detained in the F Block area of Connaught Place after he began raising slogans. Detentions were also reported in the area as police kept a close watch on gatherings amid restrictions imposed across Delhi.

CJP protest LIVE: Union minister Chirag Paswan said peaceful protests are a fundamental democratic right in India but stressed that those using demonstrations to incite violence and create anarchy must be identified and stopped.

“India is the world’s largest democracy, where peaceful protests are a fundamental democratic right. However, those who use demonstrations to incite violence and create anarchy must be identified and stopped,” Paswan told reporters.

He added that if the Congress had concerns about the Election Commission, it should raise them through the proper channels. Paswan also said he was against violence of any kind.

CJP protest LIVE: The Supreme Court has directed that no illegal detention take place of people peacefully gathering amid the CJP protest, reported Live Law.

The court also ordered Metro and rail services to function normally, internet facilities to remain undisturbed as per law, and the free movement of people and traffic to be permitted.

CJP protest LIVE: Senior advocate Kapil Sibal raised concerns over people being detained beyond the territorial jurisdiction under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

He also flagged the suspension of internet services and the closure of Metro stations during the CJP protest as issues raised before the court.

CJP protest LIVE: Justice Joymalya Bagchi asked authorities to indicate the locations of the 47 Metro stations that were closed following the Supreme Court’s order, as the hearing is underway.

“Initially, you proposed to close down 57… then pursuant to our order 47… we would like you to indicate what was the situs of these 47 stations,” Bagchi said, asking authorities to include a map marking the stations in their counter-affidavit or compliance report, Live Law reported.

CJP protest LIVE: The Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court that there was no reduction in Delhi Metro services on October 10, amid a petition challenging the closure of Metro stations during the anti-CEC protests.

“There was zero reduction in the total volume of metro operations on the 10th. Trains were inducted strictly as per the standard Saturday schedule, with 271 trains inducted into service on 10th October,” the SG submitted, reported Bar and Bench.

CJP protest LIVE: The Supreme Court said its concern for protecting life and liberty was equal for police officers, lawyers and ordinary citizens during the special Sunday hearing on detentions and restrictions imposed during the anti-CEC protests in Delhi.

“Courts are agnostic to the individual who is the subject, be it a police officer, be it a lawyer, or be it an ordinary citizen. The response and the concern of the Court to protect life and liberty is equally sensitive. All right? So don’t worry,” Justice Joymalya Bagchi said, reported Live Law.

Justice Bagchi said the court understood the concerns surrounding the scale of the actions and wanted to hear the respondents.

However, the judge also told the counsel that police officers did not have an independent right in maintaining law and order over and above the State’s submission, asking the lawyer to assist the Solicitor General.

CJP protest LIVE: Senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy told the Supreme Court that the restrictions imposed during Saturday’s protests went beyond contempt of court, arguing that they affected people’s ability to move freely and access information.

“By disrupting metro, you take away my ability to move. Internet disconnected. 7000 people reported as detained. State not providing anyone official numbers. 45 detention centres reported as setup all across delhi,” Guruswamy submitted during the special Sunday hearing, reported Live Law.

She also flagged the detention of Opposition leaders and alleged that MPs were barricaded inside their homes.

“This is not just. Young people have decided to lawfully protest, because they feel election system is not fair,” she said, questioning whether the State was effectively imposing an undeclared emergency.

“Constitution says in Art. 358 that Art. 19 rights can be restricted when emergency is imposed. Is the State saying there is undeclared emergency?” Live Law quoted Guruswamy as saying.

CJP protest LIVE: Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, appearing for the petitioners, told the apex court that lawyers who went to the Sanjay Colony police station in Maidan Garhi on Saturday were detained for hours and allegedly beaten.

“Some of them have worked with me. And policemen threatened lawyers with FIRs,” Hegde said, reported Bar and Bench.