Bhubaneswar: Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Assembly and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday called for an immediate review of the judicial custody of Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), demanding their release and asserting that hoisting the National Flag should not lead to prolonged detention.
In a post on X, Patnaik said the judiciary and the executive must intervene to uphold the rule of law and protect constitutional rights.
He argued that even if the National Flag was hoisted in a prohibited area, the act should not justify keeping the two youths in custody for an extended period.
Patnaik cautioned that the continued detention could undermine young people’s faith in the country’s legal system and constitutional safeguards.
Ranka and Das have been in judicial custody since their attempt to unfurl the Tricolour at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on October 13. They allegedly entered the venue by scaling a locked gate and violated a peace bond signed by them on October 10.
The two were among CJP members who reportedly crossed police barricades to enter the protest site, which had been denotified. They also raised slogans demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
