Germany-based YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, who was detained in Gurugram on Saturday morning ahead of a planned protest organised by Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Gurugram Police said that Delhi and Gurugram police asked Rathee not to travel to the national capital for the demonstration which had not received official permission.
Police teams reached Rathee’s home in Kendriya Vihar society, Sector 56, Gurugram, as authorities intensified efforts to prevent the planned gathering in Delhi. A senior Gurugram police official said that it was the Delhi Police that first approached Rathee and told him not to participate in the protest.
It was then passed on to Gurugram Police, whose personnel also reached his residence.
The police teams asked Rathee to cooperate with police and other law enforcement agencies and maintain peace, according to the official. However, Rathee declined the requests not to travel to Delhi, and the police detained him. The officials said if Rathee had complied with the authorities' requests, they would have preferred not to jail him at all.
Gurugram Police officials also said personnel had been deployed at Rathee’s residence and would remain there until further orders. This came at a time of heightened security preparations in Delhi ahead of the CJP demonstration, which has been the subject of political debate.
CJP confirms Dhruv Rathee’s Detention
Citizens for Justice and Peace also confirmed Rathee’s detention through a post on social media platform X. Reacting to the development, the organization accused the authorities of being afraid of young people who question those in power and refuse to remain silent.
In its post, CJP wrote: “The Dictator is TERRIFIED of young people who question its wrongdoings and refuse to stay silent!”
The organization’s statement had been critical of the police’s actions and its opposition to the restrictions on the demonstration. The detention also drew attention to the wider dispute around the proposed protest and the authorities’ decision not to allow for the gathering.
The police said they had been acting in accordance with the law and to prevent disturbance to public order. The detention took place before Rathee could travel to Delhi to attend the demonstration.
Dhruv Rathee had called on people to join the protest.
Rathee, who lives in Germany and had recently travelled to India, had publicly called on people to participate in the CJP protest. In the video filmed on social media platforms, such as X, the YouTuber urged people to gather at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Saturday.
His appeal brought even more attention to the planned march and the protest became a front line topic in online discussion. Rathee is popular for his comments on political and public policy topics as well as current affairs and his videos on social media get a lot of attention.
The proposed CJP gathering was supposed to take place, but the authorities did not give permission for it. The police deployed personnel and tried to dissuade people from going to Delhi, all the preparations for the demonstration were carried out prior to the event being held.
The situation also showed how tensions can arise when organisers attempt to hold public protests without official authorisation. And the police said they were keeping order and following the law, CJP said the police took Rathee into custody and sought to silence young people who ask questions about the government of India.
Protest restrictions with security in mind.
Rathee’s detention in Gurugram brought new dimensions to the Jantar Mantar protest controversy. Police teams were involved in the matter both in Delhi and Gurugram and the incident raised questions about how authorities were handling the planned gathering and those who wanted to attend it.
The detention was confirmed by CJP, while the circumstances leading to the action were reported to Gurugram Police officials. Further details about the legal facts involved in the detention and any future developments would have to be presented in order to paint a full picture.
As the controversy continued, the planned demonstration and Rathee’s participation remained at the centre of public discussion. The incident brought a renewed focus to the balance between public order and the right of individuals and organisations to express their views through peaceful protest.
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