‘Peaceful Protest Is A Constitutional Right’: CJP Gives Delhi Police 24 Hours To Respond

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Monday gave Delhi Police 24 hours to respond to its request for permission to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

CJP Co-Convenor Saurav Das defended peaceful demonstrations as a constitutional right, saying the party had asked the police to suggest a suitable date and time but would not accept an indefinite delay.

“Peaceful protest is a right, a constitutional right, and people are already exercising it. People will continue to hold peaceful protests,” Das said.

The CJP co-convenor added that police usually ask organisers to apply 10 days in advance.

The party had left the scheduling decision to the authorities this time and expected a response within 24 hours.

CJP Co-Convenor Ashutosh Ranka visited Parliament Street Police Station to seek a date for the proposed demonstration.

“We are going to ask Delhi Police for a date to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar. We hope the police will give us a date. If they do not, we will make another call within 24 hours,” Ranka said.

The development followed the party’s allegations on Sunday that the government felt ‘scared’. The party further accused the government of turning its agitation against the Election Commission into a confrontation with itself.

Ranka made the remarks at a press conference hours after a Delhi court released him following his preventive arrest. He alleged that India had witnessed ‘peak authoritarianism’ over the preceding 72 hours, claiming authorities had detained thousands of peaceful demonstrators seeking to protest at a designated site.

“One thing has become clear: the fight that was against the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has been turned by PM Modi and Amit Shah into a fight against themselves,” Ranka claimed.

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