New Delhi [India], October 6 (ANI): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has stepped up preparations for the October 10 protest at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj held a marathon meeting on Monday with party MLAs, councillors, district presidents, Assembly presidents and ward observers, where a backup leadership structure was prepared in case first-line leaders are arrested.
The AAP Delhi Unit chief said, citing sources, that leaders of organisations supporting Jantar Mantar 2.0 could soon be arrested in false cases, and urged all organisations to prepare Plans B and C, including alternative means of communication, to ensure the peaceful movement continues. He said the movement is bigger than any individual, organisation or political party.
In a statement, Bharadwaj said, “The government is frightened by the massive movement taking place at Jantar Mantar on October 10, where people from every corner of the country will come to raise their voices against the Election Commission. The people running the government are unable to sleep at night, wondering what will happen on October 10, and the government has made some plans in response.”
He added, “We are repeatedly receiving messages from some people that the police are going to take serious action very soon against people from different organisations who are associated with this entire movement, and that they will be arrested in different false cases. But this movement is bigger than those leaders.”
“This movement is bigger than any political party or organisation. This is a movement of 140 crore people of the country, so regardless of who gets arrested, this movement must not stop,” he said, and told all leaders and organisations to prepare their backup plans.
He continued, “Suppose all the first-line leaders are arrested on October 6 for several months. Who will the second-line leaders be? If the second-line leaders are also arrested, who will the third-line leaders be? This is not just about the arrest of top leaders. Leaders at the middle and lower levels can also be arrested.”
“One day before the October 10 protest, on October 9, it is possible that all district- and Assembly-level leaders may be taken into custody. In such a situation, how will communication take place, how will messages reach people, and who will carry those messages to them? All organisations must prepare for all of this,” he stated.
The senior AAP leader further said that the second and most important point was that when a leader is present at a protest, they communicate with the police and administration and help keep the protest peaceful.
“It becomes difficult to maintain a peaceful protest without a leader, and this is what the government is preparing to do. Despite this, we must ensure that the protest remains completely democratic, constitutional, legal, and peaceful,” he noted.
“Therefore, after one leadership, another leadership should be ready to take charge of the entire protest and also ensure that it remains peaceful. Everyone’s WhatsApp and Instagram accounts could also be blocked. In such a situation, we will have to consider what means of communication we can use, including whether Signal or Telegram can be used instead of WhatsApp,” he stated and added that this was the time to keep a backup plan ready for everything.
“Everyone should prepare Plans B and C. This is the biggest movement, and it is through this movement that this country, its politics, its democracy, and its Constitution can be saved. Therefore, everyone should get ready,” Saurabh Bharadwaj concluded. (ANI)
AAP readies backup leadership for October 10 protest; Saurabh Bharadwaj holds meeting with party office-bearers
