THE TRICOLOUR BECOMES A RALLYING CRY AGAINST DETENTION: OPPOSITION CLOSES RANKS BEHIND CJP, VOWS TO RECLAIM JANTAR MANTAR
October 15, 2026
NEW DELHI — The arrest and judicial custody of two Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders after they unfurled the national flag at Jantar Mantar have triggered a wave of opposition solidarity, bringing political rivals together around a common demand: the restoration of the historic Delhi site as a space for public protest.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal, former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, DMK leader M.K. Stalin and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray were among those who criticised the police action against CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka.
The two leaders were sent to five days of judicial custody on Wednesday after allegedly breaching barricades and entering the Jantar Mantar area without authorisation. They had unfurled the Tricolour and raised slogans demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Police said the action followed alleged violations of peace bonds and restrictions imposed after Jantar Mantar was removed from the list of designated protest sites.
Rahul Gandhi described the detention as an act of cowardice, arguing that peacefully waving the national flag at Jantar Mantar should not be treated as a crime. He called for citizens, students, young people, journalists and opposition parties to unite in defending constitutional rights, declaring that the protest site belonged to the people and would be reclaimed.
The Congress leader’s intervention carries particular political significance because the CJP and Congress have maintained an uneasy relationship. The youth-led organisation has sought to establish itself as an independent political force and has stayed away from some Congress- and INDIA bloc-organised meetings and demonstrations. Despite these differences, the arrests have created common ground between the two sides.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke thanked Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders for speaking out in support of the detained activists. The development has also highlighted the efforts of the Trinamool Congress and Left parties to bridge the gap between the CJP and the broader opposition.
Mamata Banerjee strongly condemned the arrests, describing them as an attempt to intimidate young people and silence a generation asserting its democratic rights. She urged citizens to stand together in defence of democracy and constitutional freedoms.
Kejriwal questioned the grounds for the action, asking whether waving the national flag in one’s own country could be considered a crime. Vijayan similarly criticised the contrast between the government’s public association with the Tricolour and the detention of young leaders who had displayed it during a protest.
Stalin warned that detaining young demonstrators would not necessarily suppress dissent, arguing that such action could instead draw more ordinary citizens into the movement. Aaditya Thackeray also condemned the custody of the CJP leaders and framed the confrontation as a struggle over democratic freedoms.
The controversy has extended beyond the leading opposition parties. Political figures and public commentators have questioned the legality and proportionality of the custody order, while CJP representatives have accused the authorities of using state power to curtail fundamental rights. The defence lawyer representing the detained leaders has also challenged the reasoning behind the order, arguing that the decision was based on presumptions rather than sufficient evidence.
Delhi Police, however, has maintained that the protesters entered a restricted area and obstructed personnel performing their duties. Authorities have also alleged repeated attempts to disturb public peace. The accusations remain part of the ongoing legal proceedings, and the detention itself does not establish the leaders’ guilt.
At the heart of the confrontation lies the status of Jantar Mantar, long associated with demonstrations, political campaigns and public dissent. Its removal from the designated protest-site list has intensified questions about where citizens can gather to express opposition to government policies and demand accountability from public institutions.
For the CJP, the detention of Das and Ranka has become a defining moment in its campaign against the Election Commission’s electoral-roll revision process and its demand for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. For opposition parties, the episode has provided an opportunity to rally behind a younger protest movement despite previous political differences.
The emerging unity remains centred on a clear demand: that Jantar Mantar be restored as a venue for public demonstrations and that the right to peaceful protest be protected. Whether this solidarity develops into a sustained political campaign will depend on the opposition’s next steps and the course of the legal proceedings against the detained CJP leaders.
