'The more young people they jail...': How opposition leaders in South are viewing Ranka, Saurav arrests

From Bharat Rashtra Samithi working president K T Rama Rao to DMK leader M K Stalin, several Opposition leaders from southern states have condemned the arrest of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, calling it an attempt to stifle dissent.

In a post on X, KTR called the move "uncalled for" and alleged it "reeks of insecurity".

"If there is one group of people really fighting for this country's future, it's the youth, the Gen Z of this nation. To imprison them because they are trying to clean up the system reeks of insecurity. Slapping trespassing cases is absolutely uncalled for. Five-day judicial custody for waving Indian flags at Jantar Mantar is a new level of Emergency! Don't forget that the country attained its freedom through protests and movements like these. Dissent is the cornerstone of any democracy," he wrote on X.

Stalin also condemned the arrests, calling them an attempt to "silence young voices".

"The more young people they jail, the more ordinary citizens, with no political affiliation, will take to the streets and show them the true power of the people," he wrote on X, promising the duo "all necessary legal representation and support".

In response to the post, CJP convenor Abhijit Dipke said: "Thank you, M K Stalin sir, for speaking out against the illegal arrest of Ashutosh Ranka & Saurav Das."

The YSRCP declined to comment.

Former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan also condemned the arrests, describing them as part of an ongoing assault on dissent.

"In a democracy, the right to protest should never be confined to a designated site. Under Modi's government, even that limited space is being taken away. The irony is staggering: a government that wraps itself in the Tricolour is detaining young leaders like Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Ajinkya Shinde for waving it in protest. The flag belongs to the people, not those in power. We must unite to reclaim Jantar Mantar and defend our right to dissent. CEC Gyanesh Kumar must resign and face prosecution," he wrote on X.

While formally arresting Das and Ranka on Wednesday, the Delhi Police alleged that the two CJP leaders had repeatedly attempted to disturb public peace and violate the law by entering the now-denotified Jantar Mantar protest area without permission.

The Delhi Police has denotified Jantar Mantar as a designated site for protests and demonstrations, shifting them to three alternative venues in the city.

The decision comes amid demonstrations demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Protests led by the CJP, student groups and Opposition parties saw more than 7,500 people detained in Delhi over the October 10-11 weekend, according to The Indian Express.

The denotification follows a Supreme Court directive and a review of designated protest sites. It marks a significant change for Jantar Mantar, which has long been a prominent venue for demonstrations on political and public-interest issues, partly because of its proximity to Parliament and central government offices.

Dipke has now called for a tiranga gathering in Central Park, Connaught Place, on October 16.