Kolkata:
Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday criticised the BJP-led Centre over the arrest of Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) leaders and assured young people that she would stand by them in their fight to protect democratic rights.
“Your Didi is with you — today and forever,” Banerjee said in a post on X, condemning the arrests of Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das. Another CJP leader, Ajinkya Shinde, was also detained.
Delhi Police had taken the three into preventive custody on Tuesday after they allegedly entered the Jantar Mantar area, which had recently been denotified as an authorised protest venue, and violated conditions of peace bonds signed by two of them earlier.
The activists allegedly crossed barricades, raised slogans demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and displayed the National Flag. Shinde was granted bail, while Ranka and Das were remanded to five days of judicial custody and lodged in Tihar Jail.
Banerjee accused the Centre of attempting to intimidate young people and suppress dissent. She urged citizens to unite to protect constitutional rights and democracy.
The arrests have drawn criticism from several opposition leaders amid protests over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The Election Commission and the BJP have rejected allegations of political bias in the revision exercise.