Hyderabad: Actor Prakash Raj on Wednesday, October 14, criticised the police action against Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were sent to five days of judicial custody for entering Delhi’s Jantar Mantar with the national flag. The actor questioned the government’s decision to stop people from holding protests at the site and warned that such restrictions would not silence public voices.
In a video shared on X, Prakash Raj said that people would continue to question those in power even if authorities changed the places where protests could be held. The actor, who had joined a CJP protest in Bengaluru earlier this year, said, "Protest ka site badal sakte hain aap, rok sakte hain, lekin is desh ki awaaz ko aap nahi rok sakte hain. Pura desh Jantar Mantar banega (You may change the protest site or stop the protest, but you cannot silence the voice of this country. The entire nation will become Jantar Mantar)."
His remarks came a day after Das and Ranka were detained for entering Jantar Mantar with other CJP members. The group reportedly climbed over a locked gate, unfurled the national flag and raised slogans. On October 14, a court sent the two members to five days of judicial custody. Another party member, Ajinkya Shinde, who was also detained, was released on a personal bond.
Prakash Raj questioned why the government was taking action against people who wanted to protest peacefully. He also raised concerns about the alleged mistreatment of protesters, including women, and asked why similar action was not being taken against those accused of threatening or attacking them.
"Why are you so desperate?" the actor asked, alleging that some people were being sent to attack protesters and that women demonstrators were being mistreated. He questioned why the authorities were not taking action against those accused of such behaviour.
The actor also criticised the decision to remove Jantar Mantar from the list of designated protest sites. On October 12, Delhi Police announced that demonstrations would no longer be allowed at the location and named Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in east Delhi as alternative venues.
Prakash Raj claimed that Ramlila Maidan had limited availability and that people would have to pay Rs 50,000, along with a refundable deposit of the same amount, to hold a protest there. He questioned why citizens should have to pay money to raise questions about the government.
"Is desh mein sawaal puchne ke liye bhi paisa dena padta hai," he said, asking whether people had to pay even to question those in power. He sarcastically suggested that the government could move protests to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a desert or the Himalayas if it wanted to keep demonstrators away.
The dispute began ahead of a planned protest on October 10 by the CJP, student groups and other organisations. They were demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities and lack of transparency during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Police imposed heavy security restrictions ahead of the protest. Several people, including journalists and content creators, were reportedly detained as authorities moved to stop the gathering. The police action also drew criticism over reports that some journalists covering the events were pushed, detained or had their phones taken away.
The decision to remove Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site has added to concerns about the right to demonstrate in the national capital. Police told the Delhi High Court that alternative venues were being considered in line with a Supreme Court order concerning public demonstrations and safety.
Ending his video, Prakash Raj said the restrictions showed how worried the authorities were about people raising questions. He made it clear that changing protest venues would not stop public dissent.