‘All of Delhi is Jantar Mantar for us now. The entire country is Jantar Mantar’: John Brittas
Former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Rajya Sabha member John Brittas, and former state minister K N Balagopal, were detained by Delhi Police from Kerala House – just metres away from Jantar Mantar. The detentions came during protests in the national capital called by the Cockroach Janata Party. The Left had lent its support to the protest.
Brittas spoke to The Indian Express on his detention, the situation in Delhi and the protests across Delhi demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
Q: What happened when former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, you and some other CPI-M leaders were detained?
Unfortunately we were taken in a small police jeep. For three-and-a-half hours, this vehicle was plying on Delhi roads. This was done despite us saying that take us to a police station or a jail. Till 2.30 pm, we were on the roads. Pinarayi Vijayan is one of the senior most political leaders of the country and a former chief minister of Kerala. And this is how Delhi police treated him. He is undergoing medication and is a senior citizen. Forget about Balagopalam and me.
It is past 1:30 PM now, and the Delhi Police are still driving us around the city without informing us where they are taking us or what their intention is. Comrade Pinarayi Vijayan, one of the most senior political leaders in India, has health issues and needs to take his medication on time, yet the Delhi Police are failing to show even that basic civility.
— John Brittas (@JohnBrittas) October 10, 2026
Q: How do you see the overall situation in Delhi since Friday?
The overall situation… I can tell you that we are at Mandir Marg police station and it is 5.30 pm. There is a virtual police raaj, and clamp down on Delhi. Today morning when I left my place it took me two hours to reach Kerala House. I was stopped at six to seven places. I have never seen a situation like this in Delhi.
Q: We saw the CJP leadership, including Abhijit Dipke, being detained from their flight. What do you have to say about that?
What I don’t understand is how can people be picked up from a plane. Don’t you think it is against civil aviation security. Somebody is picked up. What is the crime they have committed. Is it someone who robbed a bank. They have given safe passage to those who have taken thousands of crores. And those protesting in a peaceful manner are picked up. We were just standing in front of Kerala House just because it is close to Jantar Mantar we were rounded off and picked up, detained. On the one hand, someone says this is a democracy. Actually basic rights and civil liberties are being trampled on.
We were travelling because we were taken in a police jeep. Even in old Delhi areas which was supposed to be unaffected, we saw small groups of people, students protesting and raising slogans. We saw them being sternly and brutally handled by the police. I have never seen Delhi like this in 38 years. All roads are blocked. I have never seen such a complete seige. I don’t know what is the number of security force deployed here. They say 48,000. But I think it is much more.
Q: We have seen Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi lead protests in Delhi over the last few days. But today he is in Chennai. As his ally, what do you make of his absence when Delhi is seeing protests?
I don’t want to comment on that because it is a decision of an individual leader who leads another political party. They had decided to take a break of two days – INDIA bloc MPs. At the same time, we had conveyed that we will participate in the protests at Jantar Mantar. I don’t want to comment on other political parties. At the end of the day, INDIA bloc will resume protests on Monday. That was the decision.
Q: What do you think is the plan for tomorrow and how do you see the situation panning out over the next few days? What will be the plan of action for Left student organisations and parties?
The government thinks that preventing us from entering Jantar Mantar today will be the end of the struggle. There is nothing like that. The agitation will continue in different ways and forms. We want to make all of Delhi Jantar Mantar. All of Delhi is Jantar Mantar for us now. The entire country is Jantar Mantar.
Q: We have seen political parties lead protests over the last few days. Would you describe the protests on Saturday any differently and how do you see this movement and how would you describe it?
I feel this is a 360 degrees movement in the sense that every section of society in some way is participating. Even former judges, bureaucrats, activists, politicians, housewives. Everyone is associated in some way. A judge may not come out on the roads. But emotionally they are supporting the cause. The spectrum is very wide.
