Mamata backs arrested CJP leaders, hits out at Centre

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday pledged support to three civil rights activists arrested by Delhi Police, intensifying her criticism of the Centre's handling of dissent. The three leaders—Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das and Ajinkya Shinde—were placed under preventive detention on allegations of trespassing, according to police records.

Banerjee's remarks came as a show of solidarity with the detained activists, with the Chief Minister asserting that her administration stands firmly behind them. The arrests have reignited broader concerns about federal overreach and the treatment of civil society leaders engaged in activism.

The incident marks another flashpoint in the ongoing friction between Banerjee's government and New Delhi over issues ranging from law and order to political dissent. Civil liberties groups have raised questions about the legal basis for the preventive arrests, arguing they represent a widening pattern of constraining legitimate political expression.

Delhi Police has maintained that the arrests were made following standard procedural protocols. The detentions have drawn attention from rights activists and opposition leaders, who have questioned the necessity and proportionality of the action.