Aaditya backs CJP leaders, says fight to reclaim democracy will continue

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray on Wednesday threw his weight behind the Cockroach Janta Party after two of its leaders were sent to judicial custody, saying the fight between the current regime and "patriotic young Indians" would continue until democracy is reclaimed.

Since when has holding the national flag by young Indians become a crime? Thackeray asked in a post on X.

"The regime vs the patriotic young Indians fight shall go on till we reclaim democracy from this dictatorship!" he said.

Earlier in the day, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi lashed out at the Modi government, saying waving the tricolour at Jantar Mantar in a peaceful protest is not a crime and jailing youth for it is an act of cowardice.

Jantar Mantar belongs to the people of India, Gandhi said and asserted that "we will reclaim it".

CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were sent to five-day judicial custody and lodged in Delhi's Tihar Jail on Wednesday for allegedly violating their peace bonds and trespassing into Jantar Mantar, which has been denotified as a protest area, police said.

Their associate Ajinkya 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, according to the police.

The CJP leaders were detained early Tuesday after they allegedly breached barricades and entered the Jantar Mantar area without authorisation, raised slogans demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation, and erected a national flag there.

They were booked on charges including trespassing, violation of prohibitory orders, breach of peace bond, and obstructing a public servant from discharging official duties, sources said.