Indian student movement leader released after police arrest

O indian student protest movement “Party of Cockroaches” stated that its spokesman and leader, Deepak Baliyan, was released after being held in custody by the Rajasthan State Police (northwest).

“Deepak Baliyan was released at the end of the night [Thursday],” announced today on social media the co-organizer of the movement, Ashutosh Ranka, who ensured that “the Rajasthan Police took him on a journey of 100 kilometers, but ended up leaving him at home again.”.

Ranka stressed that “there are limits that should not be exceeded” and considered it positive that the regional police “had finally realised this”.

So far, Deepak Baliyan has not commented on the events. However, on social network X was published a message signed by his team, in which it is stated that “Deepak Baliyan’s cell phone was destroyed by the Kathumar police,” city of Rajasthan state.

“ It was also reported that he was promised a meeting with the mother, claiming the delicate state of health of this, and that during that period his signatures were collected ", adds the publication.

On Thursday, the movement denounced Baliyan’s arrest at his own residence, claiming that the spokesman would have been “stretched, assaulted and detained by the Rajasthan Police, then transferred to an unknown location”.

“ This is the absolutely dictatorial face of this government,” said the movement, also releasing a video that appears to show Baliyan’s arrest by Indian security forces.

The news came in the context of protests in recent days against India's President of the Electoral Commission, Gyanesh Kumar, accused of trying to manipulate electoral notebooks to favor the party of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.

The demonstrations, which require Kumar's resignation, were driven by the “Party of Cockroaches”, led by student assemblies, which gained enormous social influence throughout the year, to the point that during the summer forced the resignation of the Minister of Education, Dharmandra Pradhan, following a scandal related to leaks in exams.

Still, the co-organizer of the movement addressed a message to police officers from all Indian states in a publication published shortly thereafter.

Recognizing that “what is being ordered to them at this time is the result of superior instructions,” he questioned them about “how they can raise their hands against their own children” and “how they can drag them through the night, behaving like bullies.”.

“ Even during the British [colonial period], police officers fired at their own countrymen, claiming they were only doing their duty. But remember: currently the nation considers these agents as traitors ", said.

Ranka also stressed that the movement follows “the teachings” of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement, and Babasaheb Ambedkar, chief architect of the Constitution of India, remaining faithful to the “way of non-violence and the Constitution”.

“We will not raise our hand against anyone or resort to violence. But you must also understand that, whatever happens, tomorrow we will be at Dinner Mantar ", warned, referring to the event scheduled by the movement in the historical astronomical observatories of Jaipur, in the state of Rajasthan.