Delhi Police grants permission to raise ‘Desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maaro saalon ko’ slogan!

The Delhi Police, in a shocking decision, has reportedly allowed activist Saket Gokhale permission to hold a rally where the activist specifically mentioned, in his application for permission, that the slogan “Desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maaro saalon ko” will be raised, the activist claimed in a social media post, posting a copy of the letter stamped by Delhi Police authorities.

Coming within 72 hours of the Jamia firing incident where Jewar resident Rambhakt Gopal shot at student Shadab in clear view of policemen who stood still and did nothing to prevent the firing, this is a bizarre decision. Does the Delhi Police actually think it is okay for people to march through the national capital’s streets, calling upon people to shoot their fellow citizens dead?

Not too far in the distant memory, people saw Delhi Police shooting and lathi charging Jamia Millia Islamia students inside their campus and standing idle while masked right-wing goons, allegedly aligned with the ABVP, indulged in a murderous assault on JNU students and faculty members.

Curiously, Gokhale claimed that he received a call from Delhi Police’s ACP HAX Cell soon after he went in person to the Parliament Street Police Station and obtained the permission. The person from Delhi Police has reportedly asked Gokhale to postpone the protest to February 8 or later in view of the ongoing Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in place for the Delhi Assembly elections.

If Delhi Police thinks raising such a slogan breaks the MCC, one wonders why BJP leaders Anurag Thakur and Kapil Mishra have not been yet arrested. Gokhale has decided to bring this matter to the court’s attention.

Gokhale wrote in his original post:

“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.

At the police station, all they kept asking me constantly was - is this against the CAA?

I said no - it’s against communal forces & the incident at Jamia.

And like I wrote yesterday, they assumed the rally was “against communal forces at Jamia”.

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?

PS: I’ll be taking this to court.

Let the Delhi Police answer if Maanyavar has now ordered them officially to allow people to chant such slogans in contravention of the law.

This will be interesting.”

Gokhale posted an update later:

“I just received a call from ACP HAX cell 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 haven’t Anurag Thakur and Kapil Mishra been arrested?”