Deepak Gaur, of the Arakshan Virodhi Party, was arrested for organising a Constitution burning protest, which was held on August 9 at Delhi’s Parliament Street. Gaur has been booked under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act.
The protest was organised by the Aarakshan Virodhi Party and Youth Equality Foundation, which is headed by Abhishek Shukla. Gaur reportedly revealed in his interrogation that he and Shukla had conspired to burn the Constitution with the intent to catch the government’s attention regarding the amendments to the SC/ST Act. They supposedly played a role in ensuring that the video of the protest went viral, and also issued press statements, according to the police.
Many citizens’ groups expressed rage over the protest, and condemned its unconstitutionality. On August 10, Anil Tanwar, the National Convenor of the Akhil Bhartiya Bhim Sena, filed a complaint, and also submitted footage of the protest that featured the burning of the Constitution, and protesters shouting anti-Ambedkar, anti-Dalit and anti-Bahujan slogans.
Earlier in August, the Union Cabinet had approved a bill to overturn the Supreme Court’s order regarding the SC/ST Act, which had drawn criticism and allegations that it was “diluting” the Act.