Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 22 (ANI): BJP leader Prakash Reddy on Thursday criticised Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) activists Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, saying they were misrepresenting themselves as Gen Z. He also questioned their claims of being political leaders.
Reddy was reacting to the Delhi High Court’s observations during the hearing of their plea.
Speaking on the Delhi High Court proceedings concerning the CJP leaders’ plea against their judicial custody in the Jantar Mantar trespassing case, Reddy said the two had planned a protest at Jantar Mantar on October 13 and were subsequently arrested by Delhi Police and remanded to judicial custody.
“Ashutosh Ranka and Sourav Das claim that they are the political leaders of this country, but they are not. Their party is only on the in the social media, it is not a registered political platform,” Reddy told ANI.
Reddy also referred to the court’s oral observations regarding the ages of Das and Ranka during the hearing.
“The High Court very clearly found that Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das are not Gen Z, although they claim to be Gen Z,” he said.
The BJP leader alleged that the two were politically motivated and influenced by certain political ideologies.
“They are politically motivated persons influenced by some anti-national political systems in the country. The people of this country will understand who Ashutosh Ranka and who Sourav Das are, and people will treat them accordingly,” he said.
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday heard a plea filed by Das, Ranka and others challenging a Special Executive Magistrate’s order extending their judicial custody until October 21.
During the hearing, Justice Subramonium Prasad asked about the petitioners’ ages. Their counsel, Abhik Chimni, informed the court that Das was 27 and Ranka was 32. The court then remarked that they were not part of Generation Z.
After being informed that people born after 1997 are considered Gen Z, the court reiterated, “Then you are not Gen Z.”
The petitioners subsequently withdrew their plea. The High Court clarified that it had not expressed any opinion on the merits of the case.
Meanwhile, the Special Executive Magistrate’s court at Mandir Marg ordered the release of Das and Ranka from judicial custody on October 21 after they furnished personal bonds and surety bonds of Rs 50,000 and submitted written undertakings to maintain peace and abide by the law.
The court directed them not to call for protests at Jantar Mantar until the site is denotified in accordance with the law and said that any future protests must be conducted within the framework of the Constitution.
The matter has been listed for further proceedings on October 23.
Earlier, CJP’s Head of Legal Affairs, Ratna Singh, welcomed the release of the two activists and said the party continued to identify with the youth.
Commenting on the High Court’s oral observations, Singh said, “Saurav Das is 27. He is absolutely Gen Z. Ashutosh is borderline Gen Z, and we relate to the cause of the youth. We are ultimately the youth of this country, so of course, we are the youth.” (ANI)