The right to protest is as important as, or even more important than, the right to vote. But the Union government, along with the Delhi administration, not only denied but also actively suppressed this right for thousands of protesters in Delhi over the past two days, much in line with the anti-rights policy it has pursued. Activists of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and other parties and organisations are in Delhi to protest against the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. The government took the most stringent steps, locking down and barricading the capital to prevent demonstrations at Jantar Mantar or anywhere else in the city. Delhi was turned into a fortress where the Constitution and the normal laws of the land were virtually suspended.

The government’s response was wrong and grossly disproportionate to the exercise of a constitutional right. It also deprived millions of Delhi residents of their rights. Internet services were shut down in many parts of Delhi, metro stations closed, trains to and from Delhi cancelled, barricades and detention centres set up all over the city, and over 50,000 security personnel deployed to stop, take away, and detain protesters. Leaders, including CJP’s Abhijit Dipke, former chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal and Pinarayi Vijayan, party presidents and others, were detained or arrested. At least 7,000 protesters were taken into custody, many dragged into vehicles after scuffles. Leaders, including MP John Brittas, were allegedly ill-treated and tortured. The police announcements warned citizens against joining the protest. Clearly, the government wanted to prevent and break the protest.

Suppressing the democratic right to protest is the hallmark of an authoritarian regime. The government even violated the Supreme Court’s order by shutting down multiple metro stations despite explicit directions against total closure. The BJP claimed that democracy won and mobocracy failed. However, the democratic spirit lay in protests and the resistance to the government’s crackdown, not in the attempt to foil them. Some detained leaders have been released under conditions. The Supreme Court has reiterated that there must be no restrictions on movement and no illegal detentions, and has said that it will examine the alleged excesses of the forces. The protests are expected to intensify in the coming days. They have now become not only about the right to vote but also about the fundamental right to protest itself. (Source: DH)