New Delhi [India], October 14 (ANI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday accused the BJP of "authoritarianism" over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and restrictions on protests at Jantar Mantar, alleging that those questioning the government were being jailed and peaceful demonstrators were facing police action.
His remarks came after a Special Executive Magistrate remanded Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) activists Sourav Das and Ashutosh Ranka to five days of judicial custody, while Ajinkya Shinde was bound down for six months on a personal bond and surety of Rs 5,000 to maintain peace and good behaviour, Delhi Police said. The three were accused of trespassing on the denotified Jantar Mantar protest site through private premises.
In a post shared on X, Kharge criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah's reported remarks describing 13.3 crore people outside the SIR exercise as "infiltrators" and questioned the decision to remove Jantar Mantar from the list of designated protest sites.
"Declaring 13.3 crore Indians outside SIR as 'infiltrators' by the Home Minister is an insult to Indianness. Despite the Supreme Court's decision, removing Jantar Mantar from the designated protest site... First vote theft, then 'theft of the right to protest'—this is proof of BJP's authoritarianism. Stop protecting Gyanesh Kumar!" Kharge wrote.
He further alleged that young protesters were being jailed, police were using force against demonstrators, and women were facing mistreatment, while accusing the authorities of allowing groups affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to act with impunity.
"Those who question power go to jail, Youth get beaten with batons, forced detention. Brutality from police against our daughters, Open impunity for RSS thugs," he said.
Kharge added that people would not bow before what he described as the "oppressive policies of Modi-Shah" and said the BJP would be held accountable.
"The nation is raising its voice, and will hold the BJP accountable for every single thing," he said.
गृह मंत्री द्वारा SIR में बाहर 13.3 करोड़ भारतीयों को “घुसपैठिया” घोषित करना भारतीयता का अपमान है। सुप्रीम कोर्ट के फ़ैसले के बावजूद, जंतर-मंतर को designated protest site से हटाकर… पहले वोट चोरी फिर “विरोध करने के अधिकार की चोरी” भाजपाई तानाशाही का प्रमाण है। ज्ञानेश कुमार को बचाना बंद कीजिए ! सत्ता से सवाल पूछने वालों को जेल, युवाओं को लाठी-डंडे, जबरन हिरासत हमारी बेटियों से पुलिसिया बर्बरता, RSS गुंडों को खुलेआम छूट, मोदी-शाह की दमनकारी नीतियों के आगे अब कोई नहीं झुकेगा, देश आवाज़ उठा रहा है, भाजपा से एक-एक बात का हिसाब लेकर रहेगा।
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) October 14, 2026
According to Delhi Police, the three CJP activists allegedly entered the denotified protest site through private premises on October 13, along with 11 other members, and obstructed police personnel from discharging their duties. Two FIRs were registered in connection with the incident.
Police said the action was taken following alleged repeated attempts to disturb public peace and violate the law, along with social media posts that allegedly sought to incite people.
The arrests of Das and Ranka drew criticism from Opposition leaders.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi said that jailing young people for waving the national flag during a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar was an act of cowardice.
"Waving the Tricolour at Jantar Mantar in a peaceful protest is not a crime. Jailing youth for it is an act of cowardice. Students. Youth. Journalists. The INDIA bloc. Different banners, one cause. All protests are one: citizens demanding their constitutional rights," Gandhi wrote on X.
Asserting that Jantar Mantar belonged to the people of the country, he added, "Jantar Mantar belongs to the people of India. We will reclaim it."
CJP activist Abhijeet Dipke also criticised the arrests, describing the situation as an "unofficial Emergency" and questioning why the activists had been sent to judicial custody for waving the national flag.
Dipke has said that CJP's agitation against Gyanesh Kumar shares a common cause with the INDIA bloc's protests but maintained that the organisation would continue to function as an independent pressure group.
Advocate Abhisht Hela, who represents the three activists, questioned the legal basis for the preventive action and alleged that it was being used to suppress dissent.
Aam Aadmi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh accused the BJP and RSS of opposing the national flag and warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi against targeting young protesters.
"Modi-ji, are you British? Is there British rule in India? I know that you people hate the Tricolour; you did not hoist the Tricolour at the RSS headquarters for 52 years. You sent CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das to jail for hoisting the Tricolour and chanting 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'," Singh said in a post on X.
"Do not mess with the youth, Modi-ji; they will soon put an end to your dictatorship," he added.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Saurabh Bhardwaj also criticised the action against Das and Ranka in a post on X, describing their remand as "DICTATORSHIP".
The developments come amid protests by CJP and opposition parties against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. (ANI)
