People Should Reclaim Jantar Mantar That Modi Govt Took Away: Pinarayi

Thiruvananthapuram: Leader of Opposition in the Keralam assembly Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday alleged that the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre has taken away Jantar Mantar, the space designated for protests in the national capital, and urged the people to reclaim it.

Vijayan also raised the demand for Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and prosecution.

In a post on X, the veteran CPI(M) leader also termed it an irony that Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Ajinkya Shinde were detained allegedly for waving the national flag during their ongoing protest against the CEC.

“In a democracy, the right to protest should never be confined to a designated site. Under Modi’s government, even that limited space is being taken away,” he said.

Das and Ranka were on Wednesday remanded by a Delhi court to five days’ judicial custody for allegedly trespassing on private property to reach Jantar Mantar, a denotified protest site.

Shinde was bound down to maintain peace and good behaviour for six months and released on a personal bond and a surety of Rs 5,000.

Vijayan, in his post, said that the flag belongs to the people, not those in power.

“We must unite to reclaim Jantar Mantar and defend our right to dissent. CEC Gyanesh Kumar must resign and face prosecution,” he said.