Thousands of students, youth, activists and members of civil society took to the streets in Delhi on October 16, carrying the national flag and demanding the defence of democracy and voting rights. The Tiranga March was called by the All India Students’ Association (AISA), the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the All India Students’ Federation (AISF) and other democratic organisations and voices against attempts to silence protests and the move to denotify Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site.
CPI(ML) Liberation General Secretary Comrade Dipankar joined the march from Mandi House to Connaught Place, alongside hundreds of students, youth and activists. As the march began, Delhi Police and paramilitary forces launched a crackdown, detaining AISA President Comrade Neha, who was specifically hounded and targeted by the police, along with other protesters. CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke had been detained from outside his place of stay even before the march began.
Despite the police repression and barricades, thousands gathered at Connaught Place and surrounding areas, carrying the Tiranga and raising their voices against electoral disenfranchisement. The protesters demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and the restoration of voting rights to deleted voters.
Addressing the march, Comrade Dipankar asked, “Is this the capital of barricades or the capital of freedom? No barricade can stop the people’s assertion of their rights and their struggle for democracy!”
Police Concealed Neha and Abhijeet’s Whereabouts; CJP Leaders Remain Jailed
Following their detention, the whereabouts of AISA President Comrade Neha and CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke remained unknown for several hours. Delhi Police refused to provide information about their whereabouts even to their lawyers. Neha’s whereabouts became known only late at night, while Abhijeet’s whereabouts were established only the following morning, when he was produced before a Special Executive Magistrate (SEM).
Neha had been detained during the Tiranga March on October 16, while Abhijeet had been picked up from outside his place of stay even before the march began. Neha was released from R.K. Puram Police Station at around 6.30 am on October 17, after spending the night in detention. Abhijeet was released on bail after being produced before the SEM.
CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka had been detained earlier, on October 13, when they attempted to unfurl the national flag at Jantar Mantar. They were remanded to five days of judicial custody by the SEM court, and their custody was subsequently extended by another two days without any stated reason.
CPI(ML) Liberation condemns the targeted detention of Neha, the detention of Abhijeet and the refusal of Delhi Police to disclose their whereabouts to their lawyers for hours. It also condemns the continued incarceration of Saurav and Ashutosh and the extension of their custody without any stated reason. These actions constitute a serious attack on democratic rights and the right to peaceful protest. The Modi-Shah regime’s attempts to intimidate those defending democracy and voting rights must be resisted.
Tiranga Marches Across the Country
In Bengaluru, a Tiranga March was held at the Quit India Memorial, with participation from democratic forces opposing electoral disenfranchisement. Comrade Clifton D’Rozario, CPI(ML) Liberation Karnataka State Secretary and Central Committee member, addressed the gathering and demanded the rollback of SIR, the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and the restoration of voting rights to those deleted from electoral rolls.
CPI(ML) Liberation salutes the students, youth, activists and members of civil society who came out to defend democratic rights and voting rights despite police repression. The struggle against electoral disenfranchisement and the curtailment of democratic freedoms will continue.
