"Govt afraid that people will realise their right to vote is being taken away": Jean Drèze at Jantar Mantar
Economist Jean Drèze criticises heavy police force at Jantar Mantar, claiming the government fears citizens realizing their voting rights are at risk.
Economist Jean Drèze has launched a scathing attack on the government following a massive security crackdown at Jantar Mantar, where the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) had organized a protest.
Speaking at the protest site, Drèze suggested that the overwhelming police presence was not a measure for public safety, but a tactic to suppress democratic expression. He claimed the heavy deployment was intended to prevent citizens from understanding that their fundamental right to vote is being eroded.
"Incredible Display of Force"
Drèze expressed concern for those unable to join the demonstration due to the intense security measures in place. He described the police presence as being "completely out of proportion" to any actual threat.
"The reason why the government is so afraid is not that there is any risk of violence or any security risk," Drèze stated. "It is that the government is afraid that the people of this country will understand that their right to vote is being taken away."
Dramatic Arrests at Delhi Airport
The atmosphere at the protest was heightened by reports of activists being intercepted by authorities before even reaching the venue. Abhijeet Dipke, a CJP activist who had traveled from Mumbai to Delhi specifically for the protest, shared a video alleging a high-handed approach by the Delhi Police.
In the footage, Dipke claims that police officers boarded his flight immediately upon landing at Delhi Airport to arrest him and his associates. "They are trying to arrest us from inside the plane," Dipke was heard saying in the video. He went on to compare the situation to the Emergency era, stating, "This is dictatorship... Not even Indira Gandhi did this during the Emergency."
Claims of Illegal Detention
The CJP has reported several instances of what they describe as targeted harassment and illegal detention of its members:
- Ratna Singh: The CJP's legal head claimed in a video that she was being detained while attempting to leave her home. She alleged that officers arrived without official notification, claiming they had "orders from above" to detain her. Singh stated she felt "illegally detained on the road" as police refused to let her leave her vehicle.
- Dhruv Rathee: The CJP further claimed that popular content creator Dhruv Rathee had also been detained during the crackdown.
The Delhi Police have reportedly detained several demonstrators as they gathered at Jantar Mantar and Sansad Marg. The capital remains under tight security with extensive barricading across various points to prevent the movement of protesters.