Rahul Gandhi demanded the release of CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, arrested for trespassing at Jantar Mantar on October 14, 2026, when they climbed a gate and waved the tricolour. The police remanded them to five‑day judicial custody, citing the centre’s recent denotification of the site as a protest venue. Gandhi posted on X, calling the jailing of youth for waving the flag cowardice.
The Cockroach Janta Party, founded by Abhijeet Dipke, has been protesting against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s reforms that critics say undermine free elections. The protest at Jantar Mantar was part of a larger march across Delhi that saw 14 activists, including the two leaders, detained for trespassing. Centre officials had denotified the location on Monday, a move that sparked nationwide demonstrations.
Dipke thanked Gandhi on X, praising his stance against the "illegal arrest", while other opposition figures joined the chorus. Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal tweeted that waving the tricolour cannot be a crime, and Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee slammed the arrests as a violation of civil liberties. The police said the protest violated bail conditions, but the leaders were released on bail after posting a bond promising no disturbance for a year.
Gandhi said Congress will challenge the centre’s denotification and the judicial custody order in the Delhi High Court. The CJP plans to file a writ petition, arguing the denial of the right to protest violates constitutional guarantees. The next hearing is scheduled for next week, with both sides preparing arguments.