- 2 days ago
Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Forces deployed personnel and barricaded Connaught Place to stop unauthorized gatherings ahead of a planned Tiranga rally at Central Park.
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NewsTranscript
00:01Good evening, as you are watching To The Point, we come to you live from right in front of the
00:06inner circle,
00:06Cunard Place practically turned into a fortress.
00:09Huge difference. Let me begin with what is different this time than what was the 10th of October.
00:15This time around, all arterial roads leading to Central Delhi open.
00:18There is a steady flow of traffic, all metro stations open.
00:23What is the same?
00:25Well, there is a, you know, what we've seen at least in the course of the last couple of hours.
00:31Every 15-20 minutes, there is a steady stream of protesters that are now coming in with the tricolor and
00:38are then being detained.
00:40But the kind of force that we have seen on the 10th of October, fortunately, completely missing right now.
00:47The administration, the paramilitary forces are, you know, in terms of numbers, massive on ground.
00:55But in terms of force, very little.
00:57We've only seen two flashpoints.
01:00One, when Neha Boda was attempting to come in to the inner circle when she was detained.
01:06She and Dipankar Bhattacharya were leading the protest from the SFI towards the inner circle from Mandi House and they
01:13were detained.
01:14The second, a short while ago, where once again a clutch of SFI students had come into protest and then
01:21were detained subsequently.
01:23I'm going to just give you a sense.
01:25Pawan will show you on what it looks like right now outside, right in front of the inner circle of
01:32Knaut Place, which is completely fortified.
01:34While the police and paramilitary forces are constantly urging people to move.
01:40But at least what we've seen in the last, you know, an hour is a steady stream.
01:46One group coming in, some of them getting detained and then there's a lull.
01:51And then we see another group coming in.
01:54But people are still gathering out here at the inner circle of Knaut Place.
02:01In the midst of it, I'm going to take you through now on how the day panned out, viewers.
02:06Through the course of the day, Abhiji Dipke was taken into preventive custody.
02:12Neha Boda was detained.
02:13She's at the Barakamba police station while things reaching to her head.
02:18Now, there is a preparation here by SFI students, all of them holding the tricolor.
02:25And there is going to be an attempt to once again try and enter inner circle of Knaut Place.
02:31Pawan will also show you a build-up here as well by SFI students as well as others who have
02:38come in to unfold the tricolor.
02:45Will they be detained? We'll only know in a short while.
02:49Pawan and I will continue to get you the latest.
02:51But I just want to take you through and give you a sense of how the day unfolded at Knaut
02:57Place and at Mandi House
02:59where the left took out its process wanting to converge into Knaut Place inner circle.
03:13C.J.P. founder Abhiji Dipke could never reach Delhi's Central Park for his Tirangar rally.
03:20He was detained by Delhi police as soon as he stepped out of NCP-SP spokesperson Anish Gawande's residence where
03:28he was staying.
03:31C.J.P. Dipke's detention came hours after Delhi police denied him permission to protest.
03:45A police team visited Dipke at Gawande's residence directing him not to proceed with the proposed rally at Central Park.
03:52Instead, they gave an alternative. Eleven people can carry the national flag and sing the national anthem at a suitable
04:00place.
04:03During the interaction, Dipke told police that he only intends to unfurl the tricolor, not protest.
04:10He also questioned whether unfurling the flag is considered unlawful.
04:35C.J.P. Dipke read and signed the notice served to him holding the national flag in his hand.
04:42C.J.P. He maintained that the proposed gathering would be peaceful and they would abide by the constitution.
04:48C.J.P. This is what Narendra movie has turned our country into.
05:13C.J.P. But the administration had already taken several precautionary measures ahead of the Tiranga rally.
05:26C.J.P. Central Park has been shut for two days, citing administrative reasons.
05:31Security was tightened across Karnat Place and adjoining areas, with a substantial deployment of Delhi police and Central Armed Police
05:40Forces.
05:40C.J.P. Reports put the deployment at more than 6,000 Delhi police personnel and 220 companies of Central
05:47Armed Police Forces in the New Delhi area.
05:50C.J.P. Authorities also issued a public advisory, urging people not to join an unauthorized assembly.
05:59C.J.P. While police claim that Dipke's detention was to maintain public order, the police action has once again
06:05triggered the debate over the right to protest.
06:08C.J.P. Bureau Report, India Today.
06:11C.J.P. Let's cut across right now to my colleague Shivani Sharma, who's joining us from Jantar Mantar, as
06:23well as Aishwarya, who's joining me from Karnat Place.
06:26Shivani, get us up to speed on what's going on in Jantar Mantar.
06:31Certain protesters have tried to make a bid for Jantar Mantar as well.
06:34And then we'll cut across to Aishwarya.
06:36Over to you, Shivani.
06:43Priti, I'm right now at Jantar Mantar entry from the Tolstoy Marg area, but now you see the protesters who
06:50had gathered here have dispersed.
06:53There was heavy deployment of police and CAPFs and after the deployments reached here, all these protesters in a while
06:59they moved from this location.
07:01There were buses to detain them, but they themselves left this place.
07:05You see these barricades are at place at Jantar Mantar, all entry points.
07:10And you see the deployments, the reinforcements that have been reaching wherever these student wings and these protesters have been
07:18reaching.
07:18So at Jantar Mantar, we saw around 100 of these student-to-wing protesters from all the associations, from all
07:28the organizations, be it ISA, the CPI-supported student organizations.
07:34They were all here a while back, they have moved, they have dispersed, the deployments remain at place and the
07:41police has been patrolling in all these points and especially Jantar Mantar, which has been denotified.
07:47But we see the security, the announcements, the posters and the presence of the security personnel still remains here.
07:55But very important out here to show, I want to show you that this road kept moving even when those
08:01protesters were here.
08:02So this time what we are seeing, Preeti, that the metro station is open, the road is open, the CPI
08:09shops here in this area are functional, though there are less people, the crowd is less, the football is definitely
08:16less.
08:16But yes, it's not completely closed. And the police and the CAPFs, they are deployed in this whole area.
08:24There have been attempts of all these students and these protesters to come here, reach Jantar Mantar, but you see
08:31the barricades are at place.
08:33There's multiple layers of barricading that has been done here at Jantar Mantar.
08:46Coming in from our camera, another face-off now you can see, you have the paramilitary forces along with the
08:55Delhi police who had gone there asking the crowds here to disperse.
08:59We could possibly see another round of detention now taking place between the protesters who come in with the tricolor
09:06and now the special forces coming in for a possible detention.
09:12I'm going to cut across to my colleague Aishwarya, who is very close to where a possible flashpoint once again
09:20being created, Aishwarya, where the protesters who have been warned to move back are pushing forth and extra paramilitary forces
09:31and contingents of the Delhi police being brought in.
09:37Well, definitely, you know, Preeti, you and I are very close, but yes, you are right.
09:41I can also see, you know, more police force being brought in from behind me.
09:45The number of policemen at the spot, they are now increasing and it seems like the protesters and the police,
09:51you know, let me actually show you the drone because this is extremely crucial.
09:55This is the drone which is being flown by the administration because there are high chances that, you know, the
10:01other side could actually capture the way in which they have been detained.
10:05The police now, you know, the kind of videos that we have seen over the past few days.
10:10Both the sides, in fact, come out with cameras.
10:12They make sure that they also have some video that through which, you know, they can tell their side of
10:18the story.
10:19The police, in fact, has now started slowly, slowly moving towards the protesters, asking people to, A, make space for
10:25the crowd, to make space for the cars that are coming in inside cannot place.
10:30And also the whistles, that is something that you can see now.
10:33The whistle, a sure, short sign, Preeti, that the police will now move in, will start asking the protesters to
10:40move in huge numbers.
10:42The policemen now have started moving towards the place, Preeti, where the protesters at the moment are.
10:49Well, the movement, Aishwarya, right behind me, the movement taking place right behind me because for a very long time,
10:56the police personnel there and the paramilitary forces kept trying to tell the, and it's happening in clutches.
11:03You'll see one group of protesters with the tricolor, about 50 to 60 odd, which will join 50 who are
11:08sitting here with the tricolor.
11:10Then they are told to move away. If not, if they resist, then there is a detention.
11:14So this is how things have panned out at the inner circle, while traffic continues, a little dystopian, but I
11:20would think a healthy sign, much better than what we saw on the 10th of October.
11:25Metro stations open, all arterial roads leading to Central Delhi open.
11:30But there have been political detentions, well, you could call it political, in terms of Dipankar Bhattacharya, who led the
11:37protest of the left.
11:38The SFI protest was led by no one else but Neha Bora, who was detained at Mandi House, and Abhijit
11:46Ditke, who was detained much earlier at about 4.45 p.m.
11:50when he tried to come towards India Gate.
11:53Let's cut across to our guests while we continue to get to the latest coming in from Inner Circle CP.
11:59Joining me right now is Bhavya Narsimha Murthy, spokesperson, Congress.
12:03We also have Charu Pragya, national spokesperson, Bharatiya Janata Party, Sanjay Jha, political analyst, Ranjot Satri, political analyst, advocate, Pranav
12:12Dhawan, spokesperson, CJP.
12:14We will also shortly be joined by Mr. Yashavardhan Azad, former IPS Special Director, Intelligence Bureau.
12:20We are going to cut across to all of you.
12:22Thank you for taking the time out and joining us this evening.
12:24I'd like to begin with the spokesperson, CJP.
12:28What next is the question?
12:30And Pranav Dhawan, it was your leader who was to lead the march to, or rather no march.
12:37He wanted to walk alone and come in because he didn't want to violate BNS 163.
12:44He has been now taken into preventive custody.
12:47All went down tamely.
12:49What's the next course of action from the CJP side?
12:52Because this was your call today.
12:54Hi, Preeti.
12:55It's good to speak to you.
12:56I will say that my leader was following Tagore's idea of Eklah Chalore today.
13:01And he was trying to be within the four corners of the law, yet assert his ambitkarite right to express.
13:09He's also a Gandhian, so he will adapt his values, adapt his strategies, and lead us to a more vibrant
13:16future for this movement.
13:17We will not be bogged down by any tactics of a tinpot dictator who has insecurity, who has a very
13:25fragile ego.
13:26We condemn the mass scale of detentions and utterly illegal actions.
13:34I have read the notices served on Abhijit, and they have no foundation in law.
13:38And they will be challenged, and they will also be struck down by courts at the appropriate time.
13:45But the fight will remain beyond the fight in courtrooms.
13:48And as like Gandhiji, we will captivate the hearts and minds of not just the 26 million followers that we
13:55have on Instagram,
13:57but each and every Indian, and win the battle.
14:00Pranav, before I go to the other guests, I want to ask you a question.
14:03Last time around, when Abhijit Dipke was detained, he had made very clear that the CJP now would be led
14:10into that protest by Ajinkie and Shinde.
14:14Okay, who now leads the CJP? In effect, your top three leaders are in preventive custody.
14:21Who is now going to take the next call?
14:24It is indeed a very emergent situation for our movement.
14:28Even Ajinkia has had to file a bail bond.
14:31But we are a very resilient group.
14:33We have built a strategy, and you shall know the details very soon.
14:42All right, okay, I want to bring in Charu Pragya into this conversation.
14:45Charu Pragya, what is finally heartening to note is metro stations were open, arterial roads are leading to cannot place
14:53were open.
14:54There seems to be a clear shift in strategy, and good to see that, of what went down on the
14:5910th of October, very different today.
15:01Force was used in parts, but only to detain political leadership.
15:05There have been detention, some forceful here, but comparatively to 10th and 11th of October, far less.
15:12Yet, why preventive custody when the likes of Abhijit Dipke, you know, you can say Neha Bora came in with
15:19a crowd,
15:20but likes of Abhijit Dipke was walking in alone.
15:23He was not in violation of BNS 163, yet he was taken into preventive custody.
15:30See, Preeti, one thing that is happening, and I want to begin with that, is this wrongful spread of misinformation.
15:40Everybody claiming that detentions happened because people were carrying the tricolor.
15:46That is absolutely not the case, and I want to start with that.
15:50The detentions happened because people entered a denotified protest site.
15:56They obstructed police from carrying out their duty.
15:59They broke through barricades, and it was willful defiance after giving an undertaking.
16:04So all of that is actually a position where if you're defying prohibitory orders, you are going to be detained.
16:11And, you know, just trying to tell people that you were detained only because you held the tiranga in your
16:16hand,
16:17I think that is trying to mislead the very intelligent public of our country.
16:21That's the first thing.
16:22How was Abhijit Dipke defying prohibitory orders?
16:41Can you hear me, Charu Pragya?
16:44The question is, how was Abhijit Dipke defying prohibitory orders, Charu Pragya?
16:54All right, we seem to have lost Charu.
16:56We're going to try and connect back to her.
16:58Bhavia, to bring you in on this, there was seemingly a lot of bonhommie on the march,
17:03which was announced to the Supreme Court by your party, the Congress, and your leader, Rahul Gandhi.
17:09He had with him on the truck no one else but Neha Bora.
17:13And you had massive support in terms of the Carter base coming in from the left.
17:18Today, it seems the Congress didn't return the favor.
17:21There was hardly any presence of NSUY.
17:24There was no leadership of the Congress that joined in this protest.
17:32The protests we organized, we had given invitation to everyone, every Indian.
17:37It was not just the Congress party which was present.
17:40There were people from different political parties as well as common men present in that protest, if you see.
17:48Before this, our NSUY, the Youth Congress, all of them have attended most of the youth movements that were organized.
17:56Even today, there were people, and it's just because we did not have Congress flag there,
18:02that doesn't mean our party people were not there.
18:07This was not organized by the Congress party as it is.
18:11So, of course, we would not be able to, you know, when it is a Tiranga flag, we can't bring
18:16Congress flag in show, right?
18:18It's obvious.
18:19And why would you say there is no presence?
18:21And Rahul, Mr. Gandhi, you said he only had Neha Bora.
18:26But, Tabia, the SFI bought their flags, the CPI bought their flags, the Aamadmi Party bought their flags, the Congress
18:31was missing.
18:31Rahul Gandhi had only Neha Bora.
18:34No, he had extended the invitation to everyone, to every political party, which aligned with the, and believed that there
18:45is vote chori.
18:46And it is as simple as that.
18:48We had organized a protest.
18:50People did join.
18:52In the past also, a lot of, Pragya, don't interrupt me.
18:57In the past also, in a lot of protests, whether it is CJP movement or from AISA, our people have
19:03attended.
19:05Many times, if you see our Sevadal, after a huge CJP protest, after the whole protest, our Sevadal was there
19:13to clear the road, to clean up all the mess, you know, after the protest.
19:17So, please do not say that.
19:18Okay, but today, Bhavya, you might seem to suggest today, we did, no, I'll say what I've seen, and, Bhavya,
19:27I'll say, one second, one second, can we just all hold our own, one second.
19:31Bhavya, you know, the fact is, I'm on ground, our reporter's on ground, I'm giving you clear anecdotal evidence.
19:38Today, the NSUI was a miss, the Congress leaders were a miss, right?
19:42And nothing can change that.
19:43I want to cut across back to Charu Pragya, because Charu Pragya, you said very clearly, those who were in
19:49violation of prohibitory orders was detained.
19:52How was Abhiji Dipke in violation of prohibitory orders?
19:56He was detained preemptively, Preeti, and he was detained preemptively even before the first protest started, and I think that
20:05was a sensible decision at the discretion of the Delhi police.
20:09Another thing that I want to point out here is, and because Bhavya was talking about how smart Congress is
20:14being about all of this, you know what Congress has actually done, is on one side, they have Prashant Bhushan,
20:19who's become the chief patron of anarchy in our country.
20:22On the other side, he's got Neha Bora, who's an extreme leftist, she's become the poster girl of unrest, in
20:29fact, trying to channelize, you know, her inner motivation coming from a dhaka-like protest, and that becomes a problem.
20:36Standing by Rahul Gandhi are not tall Congress leaders.
20:40Standing by Rahul Gandhi are people who are actually calling for a violent regime change.
20:46And there is a very clear distinction, especially for people who walk around carrying a copy of the Constitution in
20:53their hand, you are trying and advocating an unconstitutional method of regime change, you don't want to contest an election.
20:59I want to bring in our other guests, the answer, the answer to what the government feels is a Bangladesh
21:07-like regime change being engineered by the opposition and other forces, the reaction to that is to use emergency-like
21:15protocol, be it on the bonds that have been, be it with the bonds that have been signed,
21:21or be it the bonds that the CJP leaders have been made to sign, and even to make the pre
21:28-emptive custody that has taken place.
21:31So it seems, that's the response there.
21:33I just, I'll come back to you ma'am, allow me to open up, allow me to open up the
21:37debate.
21:37I just, madam, allow me to, allow me to open up the debate, I'll come right back to you.
21:42I want to bring in Sanjay Jha and Ranjit Sethi, who've been patiently waiting, I just would like to bring
21:45them in.
21:46Sanjay Jha, you know, there's something the Congress needs to also re-look at, because all the grandstanding of we
21:54are one movement, we are one protest,
21:56which was made by the Congress, by Rahul Gandhi himself, on ground, you're not one movement.
22:02You are very clearly your own movement, you want others to align with you, but when it comes to other
22:07movements, you do not want to bolster their forces with your numbers.
22:14Preeti, I don't agree with that at all.
22:17Rahul Gandhi has been categorical, and he's been the lynchpin of the movement as far as the opposition political parties
22:24are concerned.
22:25And he's publicly stated that while there are many formations, the Kokoro Janata Party is one, which, to be honest,
22:33pioneered the entire protest movement against this government.
22:35You have Neha Boda, who's doing a wonderful job, and there are many other members of civil society, known, unknown,
22:42who are battling it out, because this concerns the future of Indian democracy.
22:46Now, here is the truth.
22:48The truth is that ever since the Kokoro Janata Party was formed, and they have this spokesperson here, I'm not
22:54a counsel for the CGP, this government has called them by the most nasty names.
22:59It's maligned them, it's been disparaging about them, it's called them tukre-tukre gang, it's referred to them as anarchists,
23:09anti-nationals, apostates.
23:11They have used the most, shall we say, very demeaning language against the Gen Z and the student movement.
23:18And today you are seeing the manifestations of a government that is so insecure, paranoid and frightened, because this movement
23:26is now ballooned and is become, by every day, is rising into a real crescendo.
23:33This is not anymore about just the students anymore.
23:36This is a protest across the length and file of Indians across India, whichever political ideology they have.
23:44They want a vibrant, strong democracy that respects constitutional standards, not the way the BJP is running.
23:52The BJP is not just authoritarian, they are fascist.
23:56They are here to obliterate a voice that is rising in dissent.
24:00Can you imagine young people like Abhijit Dipke, like Neha Bora being arrested every other day or detained every other
24:08day?
24:08Why are you harassing the youth who one day you kind of give a lip service, they are the future
24:14of India, and the next day they are all in jail?
24:17For what?
24:17For the most flimsy pretext, for the most frivolous reasons.
24:27Allow me to bring in Rajat into this conversation.
24:30Rajat, there seems to be a shift in strategy, at least in terms of policing and law and order.
24:36What happened on the 10th and 11th was very different than what played out today, where Cannot Place is concerned.
24:42In terms of arterial roads open, metro stations open, the heavy clapdown mostly only came where those who were leading
24:51the protest were concerned.
24:52While mostly the others have been allowed to come, of course not enter the inner circle, because inner circle is
24:59completely fortified, but at least make their way till the inner circle.
25:05Yes, I think, Pritiji, there has been a calibrated approach of gradually easing out the tensions that were there in
25:12the street.
25:13And I believe some cooperation is required from all the sides.
25:17The way before the magistrate, it was Mr. Dipke who himself had signed the bond.
25:21It was not under any duress.
25:23But if you start saying that every institution has been corrupted, has been co-opted, then it is another matter.
25:30But he was the one who had signed the orders around the notification of the Jantar Mantarwar are very clear
25:37to everyone.
25:38And if you still want to carry on protests, my simple point is, why not go to the designated areas,
25:44make the applications again.
25:45You still want to carry on to flout the rules.
25:48There has to be a point where the administration and the police force is going to take the necessary next
25:54steps.
25:54The logical next steps is to detain.
25:56You know, my problem is, you know, when they were entering into the airport at least three, four days back,
26:02they said, we have to arrest.
26:04We have to arrest the Delhi police, we have to arrest the Delhi police.
26:07Because the moment they get arrested, that's how they become heroes.
26:11You know, on one side they say that.
26:13You know, and when the police actually retains you, then you start saying that the entire democracy has been replaced
26:19by dictatorship and by a fascist government.
26:21So you cannot have both ways.
26:23And on top of it, if Prasan Dhusan, who has been marching alongside all of these people, if he says
26:30that the clear intent is regime change,
26:34I think he has made a cardinal sin of tainting the entire movement of the cockroaches.
26:40Now the government, if you are trying to illegally do a regime change, government will crack down in the harshest
26:48possible ways and they are legitimate in doing that.
26:51Because Prasan Dhusan, he's turned out, he said he wants a regime change.
26:57This is highly unfortunate and this is what reeks of how a communist is actually, his entire training is.
27:04This is what shows how much of faith he has and lo and behold, he's the one who goes out
27:09and defends the constitution as a lawyer at the Supreme Court.
27:13Okay, I'm going to, Rajat, okay, allow, allow, allow me to bring in, allow me to bring in the others
27:21as well.
27:22You know, Rajat, you talk about the designated areas of protest.
27:25If it is central Delhi, because if there are people who want to protest, Ramadila Maidan is central Delhi, there
27:30are no dates.
27:31So while you've designated a spot, you still haven't made it available to protestors.
27:35So how in the world are they going to take their voice if they want to be in central Delhi?
27:39They want to be seen, they want to be heard, they want to be seen occupying public space.
27:43Anyway, I'm going to, I'll just, you know, cut across and I'll swing back to you.
27:46I just want to tell our viewers the latest update that's coming in and then you'll understand the marked difference
27:50of 10th October and today.
27:52Till now, only 150 detentions have taken place, while if you remember, on the 10th of October, the detentions have
27:58crossed 7,000.
27:59So 150 detentions that have taken place, mostly people have been allowed to come in.
28:05Some of them continue to squat right outside the inner circle, while some of them who try in groups to
28:13move towards the inner circle, those are the groups that are being detained.
28:17So there is decorum that seemingly is being maintained, while you've had the paramilitary forces and the Delhi police very
28:24clear that nobody enters the inner circle.
28:27And the original call, once again, I'll take you back to it, was for people to gather in the inner
28:33circle at 5 p.m. of Cunot Place and unfurl the Tiranga, the tricolour.
28:39What you see anecdotally, yes, you continue to see a lot of people who come from all walks of life
28:45of their own volition, but the numbers are not as much as possibly they were on the 10th and the
28:5211th.
28:52And the sheer fact, some would say, you know, was good strategy on the part of the administration to leave,
28:59you know, the crowds, any crowds to come into the inner circle.
29:02So you really don't know what the crowd really is that is coming to protest or those who have just
29:06come in.
29:07Because Cunot Place attracts a fair amount of crowds from the national capital.
29:12I want to bring back the CJP spokesperson and we'll go back to all our panelists one by one.
29:18And the question I will ask you again, what's the next course of action?
29:21Your entire leadership, Pranav, now is in, you know, preventive custody.
29:27Yes.
29:28What now?
29:29Before I answer your question.
29:33Some of them are still waiting, waiting, hoping to know what next.
29:39Yes, we are in touch with each and every volunteer of ours.
29:42But before I answer your specific question, let me answer some very pertinent points which have been made by Rajat
29:47and Charuji.
29:49The government of this day has to run as per the Constitution of India, not by its own whims and
29:54fancies.
29:55Their definition of what is law and what is order, what is the procedure, will not be the one that
30:00the Supreme Court of India or the people of this country shall follow.
30:03They cannot one day wake up and denotify Jantar Mantra, which has been a designated protest site for a long
30:08period of time.
30:09The Supreme Court of India in 2018 in the MKSS judgment has made it very clear that the people's voice
30:14has to be heard.
30:15People cannot be out of sight, out of mind for the government of the day.
30:19Therefore, when we talk about rule of law, we have to talk about what the judiciary decides is the rule
30:24of law and what the people of this country have signed up for.
30:27People of this country have signed up to live in a constitutional democracy and not to live in the lala
30:32land of a tinpot dictator.
30:35To answer your specific question about the movement, this is a movement which is run by the principles of Mahatma
30:40Gandhi.
30:42Today was, in a way, a setback.
30:44Today was a setback.
30:45It is a setback that our top leadership is in jail.
30:47But this is a very resilient movement.
30:49We have second, third, fourth, fifth layers of leadership.
30:52Our leadership is not just sitting in Delhi and Bangalore and in fancy studios.
30:56Our leadership is living in small towns of Sumastipur, Nursingpur and Trichy.
31:02These are the people who are the non-topper classes of this country, who have not had a fair chance,
31:07who are frustrated with their life.
31:08And they have shown that when cockroaches come out, they roar and they will and they shall win.
31:17All right.
31:18I want to bring in Charu Pragya back.
31:22You know, Ms. Pragya, there is a lot of conversation around the comments that were made at the press conference
31:28by Prashant Bhushan, who was seen with Rahul Gandhi, where the issue of regime change was bought in.
31:35Now, the Congress argues that there is no regime per se in India because we are not, you know, that
31:45we don't have an authoritarian figure.
31:46It is a democracy.
31:47But having said that, if you once go back and look at even what Pranap Mukherjee says, that the job
31:54of the opposition, and today the Congress is only echoing that, is to expose and dispose of the government.
32:00The job of the opposition is to topple a government.
32:03And the Congress says they are doing exactly that by what they call is exposing the lapses on your government's
32:10path.
32:12Priti, you're right.
32:13It is the job of the opposition to peacefully protest when they want to.
32:18But the operative word here is peaceful.
32:20I do agree with the CJP spokesperson, Pranap.
32:23He's right.
32:24Everything has to be done constitutionally.
32:26But that also means that you have to pay attention to the observations of the Supreme Court.
32:30So, when Justice Joy Malia Bakshi says that if there is no permission for protest, it will be called an
32:37unlawful protest, you have to pay attention to that.
32:40At the same time, when the CJI also issues notice to Rahul Gandhi, to Akhilesh Yadav and several others, and
32:47it, you know, pulls them up for their conduct and asks for an explanation, you have to pay attention to
32:52even that.
32:53You also have to pay attention to the fact that there are leaders who are signing an undertaking and then
32:58willfully defying what they have signed.
33:02That also has to be looked upon.
33:04And when leaders are using words like bloodshed, when you're actually encouraging a Bangladesh-like protest in your speeches, then
33:11the government has to sit up and take notice.
33:13And everyone who talks about the constitution has to remember in all of this, in all the debates, the operative
33:19word remains peaceful.
33:21If 200 plus police people are going to land up in hospital, that is no longer a peaceful protest.
33:27Why were people in Cannot Place in the first place?
33:30It got denotified now.
33:31Jantar Mantar got denotified now.
33:33But before that, there was stone pelting on cops in Cannot Place before the denotification happened.
33:39So, the protesters were the ones who started taking over different parts of Delhi, who marched upon the Supreme Court,
33:46who blockaded the gates entering the Supreme Court.
33:48We do understand the tenet, but Charu Pragya, one second, one second.
33:55Charu Pragya, the tenet of democracy is very clear that the government doesn't need to give you permission to protest.
34:03The authorities need to make sure that a protest is peaceful.
34:08There is, it's very clear in our democracy.
34:10We don't need permission to protest.
34:12I just want to bring in Bhavya into this conversation.
34:16And Bhavya, from here, you know, in Delhi, you're asking for the right to protest.
34:21And in Bangalore, you're not giving CCP the right to protest.
34:25I don't know what Pranav has to say about the Bangalore situation.
34:29Over a hundred young protesters were detained in Bangalore.
34:32I have a question to Bhavya Narsimha Murthy.
34:35Bhavya, one second, can I just get the faders down?
34:38I should have had the timer, I'm sure.
34:40Can I get the faders down?
34:41Can I just bring in Bhavya?
34:42Bhavya, the same question that I wanted to pose to you.
34:46It's a little dystopian, no?
34:48Here you're championing the cause of democracy and the right to protest in Bangalore, a state that you come from.
34:56You clamped down on the same right.
34:57How does that work?
35:00Preeti, you know what happened in Bangalore?
35:02The police were given clear instructions to make sure.
35:05There are two ways of deploying police.
35:07One, to make sure the protest happens in a peaceful manner, just like how you said.
35:12It's the duty of the authority, the government, the current government.
35:15Yes, I agree with you.
35:16The second one, what BJP is doing too, you know, that the police themselves inflict violence.
35:22In Bangalore, whatever happened, the chief minister has asked to report against it.
35:28He himself has come out and said, we had clear instructions that the protests should happen in a peaceful manner.
35:35And the police should make sure they do not create any hurdles for the protesters.
35:41And now the chief minister has asked for an investigation into what happened,
35:45why the protesters were not allowed into investigation against all those police officers and the police constables,
35:51who ever has done that.
35:53This is what our government is.
35:55But in turn, where Pragya Thakur was, Pragya, Charu Pragya was talking about.
36:02There are two ways of deploying police.
36:04You said there was violence before, during the protest.
36:07You know who inflicted those violence?
36:10When you people, when the Delhi police used pellet guns against the students,
36:14and you know who stood by them?
36:16The day the violence was inflicted on them, that was the day Mr. Gandhi sat in front of Prime Minister's
36:23house,
36:23and it forced the Prime Minister to do that selfie video.
36:27Else you people would have crushed that activism, the students' movement, if not for Mr. Gandhi.
36:33That day, if not for that, Mr. Gandhi would not even comment on it.
36:38That's what everyone says, it's classic Congress, to bolt the stables after the horses have fled.
36:46What happened in Bangalore, Karnataka, of the kind of high-pitched, you know,
36:53the protest that has been coming from your own political party,
36:57to then, of what happened in Bangalore,
37:00it's rather bizarre that now an investigation is ordered against the police personnel,
37:04who tried to clamp down on protests.
37:06Having said that, I want to bring in Yashavarda Nazad for a quick word,
37:10and Sanjay, I'll come to you after that, and I believe Rajat Sethi as well.
37:13Yashavarda Nazad, a marked difference on what happened on the 10th of October,
37:18to what happened today, on how the Delhi police and the paramilitary forces dealt with protesters,
37:24and dealt with basics, where no roads were blocked,
37:28metro stations were open, traffic is open.
37:32Yeah, but this is a different kind of a protest.
37:35In fact, if you look at the three protests,
37:37there was a massive confrontation on 20th of July,
37:41then on the 10th of October, there were again skirmishes.
37:44In the third protest of the combined opposition,
37:47in which the crowd was really huge, nothing happened,
37:49because restraint was shown from both sides.
37:52In this particular case, again, there was a knee-jerk reaction,
37:56because, you know, the Central Park has an amphitheater of 350 people,
38:01and also on festive occasions, 50,000 people can easily gather.
38:05If only the police commissioner would have told the CJP,
38:08yes, you're allowed to do this Tiranga flying,
38:13but use the underpass to reach that place.
38:16No vandalization of property, no trash here and there,
38:21no provocation against the police,
38:23and then strictly monitored, the ball would have been in that court,
38:26and they would have been free to take action against the provocateurs.
38:30So, in this case, the outer road anyway is closed,
38:33and the traders are also protesting.
38:36So, what I am saying is, this could have set a template.
38:38What we need to do is to make protest management efficiently,
38:43and allow the right to protest.
38:46That is exactly what would have been done in this particular case also.
38:55All right, let me bring in final comments coming in.
38:59Sanjay Jha, final comments, we'll bring in Ranjit Sethi as well.
39:03Sanjay, first you.
39:04You know, Preeti, I just want to make one observation.
39:08I've seen that the entire right-wing ecosystem is on turbo charge
39:13ever since Prashant Bhushan talked about regime change.
39:16And they're accusing as if there are some violent manifestations
39:20that are being broadcasted by the CGP or Prashant Bhushan,
39:25Neha, Boda, etc., which is complete balderdash.
39:29This is a misinformation and disinformation campaign.
39:32Regime change happens through the ballot box, through the EBM.
39:34I mean, it is an electoral result on which the people vote.
39:39I mean, the biggest regime change was done by Mahatma Gandhi
39:42when he brought the British Empire to an end.
39:44So to assume that, you know, you can just make scandalous remarks
39:48where you're trying to slander the protesters is extremely unfortunate.
39:54It tells you the political intent of this government
39:56to call anybody who makes any statement
39:59to kind of come to their own conclusions
40:02and then conflate it with some kind of an anti-national seditious act.
40:06This is the intent of this government that worries me, Preeti.
40:09Because the truth is that regime change happens every five years
40:13when there is an electoral democratic contestation
40:16that results in one winning and somebody not winning.
40:19It's as simple as that.
40:20It's not complicated at all.
40:28Rajat, final comments, Rajat.
40:30If he's with us, let's bring him in.
40:33So, Preeti ji, I still don't understand.
40:36I mean, this statement was made by Mr. Prashant Bhushan.
40:40What does the government have to say?
40:43A mirror has been shown to him finally,
40:46wherein this is what the government has been saying all along,
40:51that the intent is not election commission.
40:53The intent is regime change.
40:55And if you are asking for a regime change,
40:57the way every spokesperson of CJP has also been saying
41:00that we will take the resignation of Prime Minister Modi.
41:03And clearly they want to use street protest
41:06in an illegal and unconstitutional manner
41:09to enforce a regime change.
41:12I think by mistake and because of emotional burden,
41:17Mr. Prashant Bhushan just let out his intent.
41:20And he was pretty aggressive about it
41:23as if he genuinely meant
41:25and he is ready to go to any extent to do that.
41:27I believe this has tainted the credibility
41:29until the time the CJP spokesperson
41:31do not come out and say that this is the intent.
41:35I mean, anybody is free to understand
41:38like that this was always the case
41:40of what the CJP genuinely wanted.
41:46You know, I just want to pull in the CJP spokesperson once again
41:51because, you know, what is going to be the next call?
41:56And once again, Pranav,
41:58I want to come to you very quickly, 10 seconds,
42:01because there are people who are waiting right now,
42:05even at the outer circle,
42:07of wanting to know what next.
42:09Yes, and we are making every effort
42:12to be in touch with every supporter of the CJP.
42:14We are a responsible and a resilient movement
42:16and we will hash out our strategy very soon.
42:19We will take care of every volunteer,
42:21both legally, socially, economically.
42:24So I appreciate your concern, Priti.
42:27But before we end, I would just say
42:30that CJP distances itself from Neha Dora's statement
42:43in Bangladesh, something Abhiji Dipke did as well.
42:46I thank all of you for joining us.
42:49Thank you for taking the time out.
42:50I know it was a big panel today
42:51and you did all have the patience.
42:53I really appreciate it.
42:54I just want to leave our viewers
42:55with what the inner circle is looking now,
43:01looking at this point of time.
43:03These are, of course, vans and buses for detention.
43:08Now, it seems that there is another contingent coming in
43:12and you can, thank you,
43:15a lot of people coming in just to make videos.
43:18But yes, another contingent,
43:19like I told you viewers right in the beginning,
43:22people are coming in groups and clutches
43:24and you can hear the whistles of the paramilitary forces
43:27because every time a group comes
43:29to drown out the protest sound,
43:31you can hear whistles there.
43:34So that's what's happening here,
43:37poised for possibly another face-off
43:40and a small detention again.
43:43We are going to leave our viewers with that,
43:46continuing to report, thank you there,
43:48continuing to report from the inner circle.
43:52Where the Cockroach Janata Party today gave a clarion call
43:54of bringing in the tricolor,
43:56the inner circle completely fortified
43:58while protests continue to rage
44:01right outside the inner circle.
44:05With that, it's goodbye from Pawan and I.