RTI activist accuses Delhi Police of giving him permission to chant ‘shoot the traitors’

Tribune Web Desk
Chandigarh, February 3

RTI activist Saket Gokhale has claimed Delhi Police gave him permission to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar to chant “Desh ke gadaaron ko, goli maro saalon ko”—an issue that he claims highlights the different yardsticks that police use to grant permission to protests.

In a series of tweets, first highlighting the issue and later restating his case after Delhi Police issued denials, Gokhale—an RTI activist who previously wrote to the central government asking for details of the oft-repeated term “tukde-tukde gang”—said that when he asked for permission to hold the protests, he was repeatedly asked if it was against the contentious amendment to the citizenship law.

“The Delhi Police has, shockingly, granted me permission to hold a rally chanting ‘desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maaro saalon ko’. The permission was given to me today when I visited Parliament St. Police Station. This chant now, it seems, has state sanction,” he said in a tweet on Saturday evening.

“At the police station, all they kept asking me constantly was— is this against the CAA? I said no—it’s against communal forces and the incident at Jamia. And like I wrote yesterday, they assumed the rally was ‘against communal forces at Jamia’,” he said.

“I have no intention of holding a rally (unless y’all suggest otherwise). I only wanted the police to give in writing what they think of this reprehensible slogan. Legit protests don’t get permission. But this shockingly does. How is this ok, Delhi Police,” his third tweet on Saturday said.

He had added then that he intended to take legal action in the incident.

“PS: I’ll be taking this to court. Let the Delhi Police answer if Maanyavar (in reference to Home Minister Amit Shah) has now ordered them officially to allow people to chant such slogans in contravention of the law. This will be interesting,” his fourth tweet said.

However, it doesn’t stop here. Delhi Police issued a denial. Their response, also in a tweet, “It is hereby clarified that no permission to hold a protest on 02.02.2020 has been given to Sh.Saket Gokhale. A copy of his request letter is being circulated in the social media as permission, which is not the case,” Delhi Police’s tweet said.

Another tweet from Gokhale a few hours later said: “Update: I just received a call from the ACP saying that the slogan ‘will be problematic’ in view of the ongoing Model Code of Conduct. I’ve now been ‘requested’ to move the protest to after 8th February. If this is indeed a violation, why isn’t Anurag Thakur arrested”

In his tweets on Sunday morning, he thanked people for their support.

“I want to thank everyone who’s supported me/contributed from the bottom of my heart. It’s an incredibly scary experience to forsake a job & try to fight the BJP/RSS full-time. It’s only thanks to your support that I can continue to do so without worry or anxiety,” his first of a series of tweets on Sunday said.

“I try to take on multiple fronts in this fight. It’s akin to throwing 20 arrows at a target in the hope that 1 will hit the bulls-eye. This combined with bureaucracy (and its delays) and a lethargic legal system makes it a very tough and slow process.”

“The task gets even harder when institutions are compromised/biased and one has to find loopholes around them. It’s very slow frustrating work but when it works—it works wonders. Plus I work all alone—which makes the task 100x harder. Over the next few weeks I’m going to try to (a) rope in more people for this work (b) document what I’m working on on a website/page for easy reference I also want to meet as many of you as I can who’d like to fight this fight even if it’s for a few hours every week,” he said.

“Once again, I’m incredibly grateful for your contribution, support, & trust. That’s the only thing that keeps me going amidst the toxicity and the pushback from the system with the risks that it entails. Thanks a million to each and everyone (sic) of you. Onwards and upwards,” he said.

Gokhale also uploaded copies of the permission letter on Twitter.

I want to thank everyone who’s supported me/contributed from the bottom of my heart.

It’s an incredibly scary experience to forsake a job & try to fight the BJP/RSS full-time.

It’s only thanks to your support that I can continue to do so without worry or anxiety.

(1/6)

— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) February 2, 2020

Saw multiple missed calls & realized they were from @DelhiPolice.

They’re paranoid that I might actually go ahead with the rally today.

So cops – don’t be worried. I’m not doing a rally with such a reprehensible slogan.

But I do wanna know when u are arresting Anurag Thakur

— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) February 2, 2020

You still need to answer why permission was granted to me & then withdrawn through a mere tweet.

Is this slogan legally allowed? If yes, you have explaining to do.

Is it not allowed? Then arrest BJP leaders using this slogan IMMEDIATELY.

This needs answers & I’ll get them.

— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) February 2, 2020

For @DelhiPolice falsely claiming that the letter I posted is a mere receipt acknowledgement, here’s 2 pictures.

Picture 1 is a copy of my application with a “received stamp”.

Picture 2 is a copy of my letter for which permission was granted.

Falsehood is no good. 🙄 pic.twitter.com/C7UbpSSJ7f

— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) February 2, 2020