Multiple FIRs filed amid crackdown on protests against election chief in Delhi

On Saturday afternoon, the BJP's national spokesperson and Lok Sabha MP Sambit Patra defended the ruling party's stance against the protests led by Chief Justice-led protests and the government's crackdown in the national capital. He described Jantar Mantar as "just about 4 square kilometres" while India itself was "32,87,000 square kilometres" and claimed that the story of India is not the story of Jantar Mantar. Patra also labeled civil society protesters and opposition leaders as "anarchists".

The article raises fundamental questions about the importance given to protests in Delhi due to their proximity to power, the amplification of voices and issues by media concentration in the capital, and whether the thousands of protesters represent a broader public sentiment. It also questions whether the slogans on the street serve as a means to be heard by the state and government, seek accountability, and bring about change.

Delhi, a seat of subcontinental power, has been the location of protests since the Sultanate era, the Mughal rule, the British Raj, and the aftermath of Partition. The city has witnessed protests from various political factions, including Marxist parties, Socialists, Gandhians, and the Janata Party. The JP movement, which began in Bihar and culminated in Delhi in 1975, led to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declaring Emergency.

The protest movement continued with notable leaders such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L K Advani, Lalu Prasad, Mulayam Singh, Arun Jaitley, and Narendra Modi emerging from it.

Throughout history, protests in Delhi have marked significant political events, such as Charan Singh's farmer rally in 1978 and the Mandal Commission's recommendations protest in 1988. In recent years, protests shifted to Jantar Mantar, where diverse groups, from farmers and students to animal rights activists and women's safety advocates, voiced their grievances. These protests have challenged the status quo and forced governments to confront issues that were previously silenced.