Abidit Deepke, founder of the Kachrooch Janata Party (CJP), was released on Saturday after a day of detention by Delhi police. He was arrested during protests against India's electoral body on Friday. The party shared a photo of Deepke on social media, referring to him as a "free man."
Conditions of Deepke's Release
Ratna Singh, head of legal affairs at CJP, announced on social media that Deepke was released after agreeing to specific conditions. She did not provide details about these conditions. Deepke stated in an Instagram post that he "knew going to jail was inevitable" and is ready to face "whatever comes his way." He added: "Because the day I decided to return to India, I placed my destiny in the hands of the people of India and the constitution of this country."
Release of Other Activists and Criticism of the Electoral Body
Nah Bora, president of the All India Students' Association (AISA), who was also arrested during a protest in New Delhi, was released on Friday night. Bora is known as a prominent figure in the protests against the Election Commission of India, with Gyanesh Kumar being accused of manipulating voter lists.
Since the launch of a comprehensive review titled "Special and Comprehensive Review" (SIR) last year, over 130 million names have been removed from India's electoral rolls. Opposition leaders and critics claim that a large percentage of minority voters have been removed from the electoral lists, accusing the Hindu nationalist party led by Narendra Modi of using this process as a tool to secure future electoral victories.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has also faced questions about its neutrality. ECI claims that SIR only involves the removal of deceased, relocated, and duplicate voters, and also helps prevent the entry of "illegal foreign migrants."
BJP's Response to Protests
The BJP has strongly criticized its opponents, accusing them of undermining democracy. Rajnath Singh, India's Defense Minister and a member of the party, referred to the protests in a press conference on Friday, accusing the opposition of trying to create a "Bangladesh-style regime change." He said: "It seems that Congress and its political allies are not trying to channel the energy of the youth towards constructive activities and nation-building, but rather towards political conflicts and spreading chaos."
Two other senior leaders of CJP, Ashtosh Ranka and Sourav Das, were arrested on October 14 for entering Jantar Mantar, which has long been recognized as a prominent site for protests in the heart of Delhi. However, Delhi police have prevented protests by blocking this area along with heavy deployment of forces. The two leaders have been in judicial custody for five days, which will end on Sunday. CJP has warned that if Das and Ranka are not released, legal action will be taken.
Deepke posted on X (formerly Twitter): "Now I am just waiting for my brothers to be released" and shared a photo of Ranka and Das.
