UPDATED: Oct 14, 2026 22:24 IST
A debate unfolds over the flash youth protests in Delhi following the denotification of Jantar Mantar as a designated protest venue. Meher Pasricha, national spokesperson of the Cockroach Janata Party, defends the demonstration of national symbols in public spaces, criticising the administration's actions as an arbitrary suppression of dissent: 'It's just a systematic dismantling of protest and dissent in itself.' Varun Chaudhary, AICC co-in charge and former national president of the NSUI, condemns the detention of student activists and asserts that the right to peaceful assembly is protected under the Constitution. Meanwhile, Shravan B Raj, National Secretary of the ABVP, counters that multi-outfit street mobilisations are causing public disruption and anarchy, urging student groups not to derail youth or target democratic institutions. The panel examines the legal implications under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, the role of opposition political figures, and the accountability of the Election Commission.
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CJP Leaders Sent To Tihar Jail After Jantar Mantar Protest, Rahul Gandhi Slams Arrest As ‘Cowardice’
Cockroach Janata Party co-conveners Saurabh Das and Ashutosh Ranka have been remanded in judicial custody for five days and sent to Tihar Jail after entering Jantar Mantar, which was recently denotified as a designated protest site. They face charges of trespassing and violating peace bonds. Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi condemned their jailing as an act of cowardice and backed the agitation, whilst student organisations, including the National Students' Union of India, staged protest marches to reclaim the venue. The Bharatiya Janata Party hit back, accusing the opposition of misleading the country's youth over legal actions taken for bond violations. Opposition parties have announced a movement to restore Jantar Mantar as a demonstration site, and a petition challenging the police ban has also been filed before the Supreme Court.
Rahul, Priyanka Meet Ankita Bhandari's Family at India Gate Ahead of Uttarakhand Polls
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met the parents of Ankita Bhandari near India Gate in New Delhi, extending solidarity as the family staged a dharna. Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist at a resort in Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, was found murdered in September 2022. While three men, including resort owner Pulkit Arya, were convicted, the family continues to demand a thorough probe into the alleged involvement of a VIP. The latest flashpoint follows the appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Sikkim Governor, with the victim's parents demanding his punishment and alleging his involvement in the case. The parents also criticised the pace and direction of the Central Bureau of Investigation probe, seeking examination of technical evidence like call records. The political outreach comes ahead of the Uttarakhand assembly elections, returning the high-profile case to the national spotlight.
Meerut Blue Drum Murder Case: Muskaan Rastogi, Sahil Shukla Get Death Sentence After 13-Month Trial
A Meerut court has sentenced convicts Muskaan Rastogi and her friend Sahil Shukla to death for the murder of Muskaan's husband, Saurabh Rajput. Pronouncing the sentence, the judge invoked the Mahabharata, stating that punishment is also dharma. The verdict concluded a 13-month trial involving 126 hearings and testimony from 22 prosecution witnesses. Both accused were convicted of murder, criminal conspiracy, and destruction of evidence after Rajput's dismembered body was sealed in layers of cement inside a blue drum. On India First, former Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Dr. Vikram Singh termed the ruling appropriate and an essential deterrent against diabolical crimes, cautioning against any leniency. Conversely, senior Supreme Court advocate Colin Gonsalves expressed scepticism regarding whether the case meets the threshold for rarest of the rare, suggesting the capital sentence may be commuted to life imprisonment by superior courts.
India First: Dr. Vikram Singh & Collin Goncalves debate Neela Drum murder
On India First, former Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Dr. Vikram Singh and Supreme Court Senior Advocate Collin Goncalves debate capital punishment and deterrence in the brutal Neela Drum murder case. Discussing the conviction of Muskan and Sahil, Dr. Vikram Singh backs the death penalty, asserting, 'Bina dand ke rajya adhikar nahin chalta hai, and to show any iota, even an iota of mercy to Muskan and Sahil would be a miscarriage of justice.' He highlights how the destruction of evidence and the gruesome hacking of the victim's body shocked the conscience of the nation, categorizing it as rarest of rare. Conversely, Collin Goncalves argues that academic research shows capital punishment is not an effective deterrent and predicts the superior court may commute the sentence to life imprisonment. Emphasizing judicial timelines, Dr. Singh notes that swift punishment under BNSS is vital because justice delayed is justice denied.