14 October,2026 02:29 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Aaditya Thackeray. File Photo
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray on Wednesday expressed support for the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) after two of its leaders were sent to judicial custody in Delhi, saying the fight between the current regime and "patriotic young Indians" would continue until democracy was reclaimed.
Questioning the action against the party's leaders, Thackeray asked in a post on X, "Since when has holding the national flag by young Indians become a crime?"
"The regime vs the patriotic young Indians fight shall go on till we reclaim democracy from this dictatorship!" he said.
The remarks came amid political criticism over the detention of CJP members following a protest at Jantar Mantar in the national capital, which has been denotified as a designated protest venue.
Earlier on Wednesday, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi criticised the Modi government over the action against the protesters. He said waving the national flag during a peaceful demonstration at Jantar Mantar was not a crime and described the jailing of young protesters as an act of cowardice.
Gandhi asserted that Jantar Mantar belonged to the people of India and said, "we will reclaim it".
The statements by Thackeray and Gandhi came amid opposition criticism of restrictions on demonstrations at the site, which has been a prominent venue for protests in Delhi.
CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were sent to five days of judicial custody on Wednesday and lodged in Delhi's Tihar Jail, police said. They were accused of violating their peace bonds and trespassing into the Jantar Mantar area.
Their associate, Ajinkya Shinde, was bound down to maintain peace and good behaviour for six months and released on a personal bond with a surety of Rs 5,000, according to police.
The three were detained early Tuesday after allegedly breaching barricades and entering the area without authorisation. Police said they raised slogans demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and erected a national flag at the site.
The CJP leaders were booked on charges including trespassing, violation of prohibitory orders, breach of a peace bond and obstructing a public servant from discharging official duties.
The action followed the removal of Jantar Mantar's status as a designated protest venue. The restrictions have drawn criticism from opposition leaders, who have raised concerns over the ability of citizens to hold demonstrations in the national capital.
