Abhijeet Dipke says, “Sourav Das and Ashutosh Ranka went to jail smiling, activists following the path of Gandhian Satyagraha”

October 20, 2026

New Delhi: Amidst comparisons of youth protests in India to political movements and regime changes in France, Nepal, and Bangladesh, Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) activist Abhijeet Dipke released a video on the social media platform X on Tuesday. In it, he defended jailed activists Sourav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, saying their peaceful behavior is an example of Gandhian Satyagraha.

Dipke rejected claims that India’s protests are similar to violent incidents and political upheavals in other countries. He said that Indian activists’ commitment to nonviolence distinguishes them from other movements.

Saurav and Ashutosh remained calm even while being jailed: Deepak

Taking aim at those who cite the violent youth protests in France and the regime change movements in Nepal and Bangladesh, Deepak said that the conduct of protesting activists in India should also be considered.

He said, “Those who constantly point fingers at what’s happening in France should be ashamed and look at what’s happening in India. Saurav Das and Ashutosh went to jail smiling. They didn’t do anything like what’s happening elsewhere.”

According to Deepak, despite knowing they were allegedly being jailed illegally, the two activists chose the path of peace and compassion instead of anger and hatred.

He said that those citing Nepal and Bangladesh as examples should also pay attention to the behavior of their colleagues. According to him, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka remained smiling even in court and upheld Gandhian values.

Comparison to Mahatma Gandhi’s Satyagraha

Deepke compared the imprisonment of the two activists to the Satyagraha practiced by Mahatma Gandhi during the freedom movement. He said that Gandhi himself remained calm while going to jail, because for him, it was a part of Satyagraha.

He said that Sourav and Ashutosh are following the same path and are trying to awaken the conscience of the nation by enduring hardship in prison. Deepke expressed hope for their release.

He also said that keeping them in jail will not break the morale of the activists nor will their movement turn to violence.

Deepke said, “If anyone thinks that imprisoning Sourav and Ashutosh can intimidate or break their spirit, that will never happen. When they come out, they will shout slogans of ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ with the same smile and will continue to follow Mahatma Gandhi’s path of peace and non-violence.”

Judicial custody of Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka extended

Meanwhile, the judicial custody of Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka was extended for two days after the initial five-day period ended. According to their lawyers, the two were remanded to judicial custody from Delhi’s Mandir Marg police station after the surety’s confirmation was not accepted due to alleged discrepancies in the bail documents submitted.

The Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) court at the Mandir Marg police station extended their custody until October 21.

Political debate continues over French protests

Political debate continues over student protests in France. An investigative report published on October 9 by Fox News Digital claimed to have identified 50 organizations linked to the French student movement and its support networks. The report alleged that communist, socialist, and leftist groups are using the protests over school conditions to advance a broader political and ideological agenda.

The Congress party in India has strongly opposed the comparison of opposition protests against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Review (SIR) process to the violent unrest in France and other European countries. The party maintains that its movement is peaceful and constitutional and focused on ensuring free and fair elections.

The controversy escalated further when the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that “anti-India gangs” were conspiring to bring about a regime change in India by creating a situation similar to the recent turmoil in Bangladesh and France. The Congress party rejected these allegations and described its protests as democratic and peaceful.