Jantar Mantar: Kerala LoP Pinarayi, Left leaders released after detention of over 8 hours

Kerala’s Leader of Opposition and Politburo member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Pinarayi Vijayan, who was detained by Delhi police, was released after over eight hours in custody. Pinarayi, along with MP John Brittas and CPI(M) leader KN Balagopal, were confined to a police vehicle for over 3.5 hours on Saturday, October 10, before they were taken to a police station. 

Speaking to the media after release, Pinarayi said that he, along with two Left leaders, were confined to a moving vehicle for over three hours before being taken to the police station. “It was a strange experience. However, I feel proud to participate in a struggle against suppression of democratic rights,” he said. 

Pinarayi, who is 81 years old, was among four former state chief ministers who were detained as part of the protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party, demanding resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the mass disenfranchisement of electors in the SIR. 

Former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and former West Bengal CMs Mamta Banerjee and Manik Sarkar were also detained, along with hundreds of protesters.

Senior CPI(M) leaders, including party general secretary M A Baby, state secretary M V Govindan, Brinda Karat, P K Sreemati and KK Shailaja, were detained ahead of a march to Jantar Mantar earlier in the day.

Expressing concern over the detention of Opposition Leader Pinarayi, Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan had directed the state Chief Secretary and Resident Commissioner of Delhi to contact Delhi police for his immediate release. 

The CPI(M) said that Pinarayi and other leaders were denied food and essential medicines. 

“It is reprehensible that CPI(M) Polit Bureau Member and Kerala Leader of the Opposition Com. Pinarayi Vijayan and several others were confined to police vehicles for hours. They were denied food and water and were not even allowed to take essential medications. Several women, including Polit Bureau member Mariam Dhawale, who were taken to the Maurya Enclave Police Station, were not even allowed to use the washroom. The mobile phones of a batch of comrades, including MP A.A. Rahim, were taken by the police,” wrote M A Baby on social media platform X.