A public exchange between the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and the Congress over legal assistance for detained students has brought the coordination of legal support into focus following the October 10 protests in Delhi against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The protests, organised by CJP at Jantar Mantar, demanded Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls. The demonstrations were followed by a major police crackdown, with thousands of protesters, students, opposition leaders and activists reportedly detained. CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were also detained after arriving in Delhi. Meanwhile, the party’s head of legal affairs, Ratna Singh, alleged that she and three other lawyers had been detained ahead of the demonstration.
The dispute over legal assistance surfaced on October 12, when Ratna Singh took to X to defend the efforts of independent lawyers who had assisted protesters and detainees. Her remarks came amid questions over the availability and coordination of legal support during the demonstrations.
“No one is claiming credit for doing the bare minimum of helping people,” Singh wrote, urging people not to turn the issue into “a political debate about who is helping whom”.
She said independent lawyers had been actively assisting protesters on the ground, particularly those facing detention, and described them as “the unsung heroes”. Singh added that more lawyers were volunteering to join CJP’s legal team, noting that it would take time to streamline the arrangements.
“A heartfelt thank you to all the independent lawyers in Delhi who continue to show up and help,” she wrote, acknowledging their contribution to supporting CJP and others in need of legal assistance.
Assam Congress spokesperson Reetam Singh responded by quote-posting her remarks, raising concerns about students who had participated in the October 10 protest but were reportedly struggling to access legal support.
“Yes Ratna, we understand. But if you people go incommunicado, please keep a second line of volunteers ready,” Reetam Singh wrote.
He said the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) legal cell had continued receiving distress calls from students who attended the demonstration but were unsure where to seek assistance. According to him, IYC president Uday Bhanu subsequently formed a rapid-response team of lawyers to help students and detainees, with Roopesh coordinating the efforts.
Reetam Singh urged CJP to accept the legal assistance offered by the Congress-affiliated organisation until its own arrangements were fully operational. He also called on the party to maintain an accessible telephone helpline so that students could contact lawyers when necessary.
“Jammers block information at protest sites,” he said, arguing that communication disruptions had heightened anxiety among students and the families of detained protesters.
The exchange has exposed differences between the two sides over the coordination of legal assistance during the police action. While Ratna Singh emphasised the role of independent lawyers and the ongoing expansion of CJP’s legal team, the Congress spokesperson stressed the need for a backup support system to ensure that students could access legal assistance when their primary point of contact was unavailable.
The dispute unfolded against a broader political backdrop on October 12, when the Congress-led Opposition planned a march to the Supreme Court over the revision of electoral rolls. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant declined to meet Congress representatives, stating that the court should not be drawn into political disputes.