Banerjee vows to protect democratic rights after CJ leaders jailed

In a forceful statement posted online, Mamata Banerjee pledged to stand with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) movement after the police detained party workers Saurabh Das and Ashutosh Ranka at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. Banerjee said the arrests were a direct attack on the democratic fabric of the country and a clear attempt to silence dissent.

She invoked the sacrifices of earlier generations, emphasizing that the fight for democratic rights is ongoing and must be defended by every citizen. Banerjee warned that the recent wave of arrests is part of a larger pattern she called "the murder of democracy" in several Indian states.

According to the police report, the two leaders were among a group of fourteen who scaled the Jantar Mantar wall after a protest ban was announced. While initially apprehended, they were formally arrested late on Tuesday. A Delhi magistrate later ordered a five‑day judicial custody, and they were sent to Tihar’s Tihra (Tihār) jail.