BJP MP detained for attempting to take out march against judiciary

BJP MP Udit Raj, along with several members of the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations, was detained near the Ramleela Ground here Monday for attempting to lead a protest march to the Supreme Court.

A rally was organised by the confederation chaired by the North-West Delhi MP, raising various issues, including the representation of the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and minority communities in the higher judiciary and the alleged encroachment of legislative and executive roles by the judiciary.

"We are not committing contempt of court. The jurisdiction of the judiciary, executive and legislature is specified. But the judiciary has continuously been encroaching into the jurisdiction of the executive and legislature," Raj said.

He also criticised the collegium system of appointing judges in the higher judiciary and raised the issue of representation of SC/ST community members in the high courts and the Supreme Court.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP also demanded the scrapping of a Supreme Court-mandated monitoring committee for overseeing the sealing drive in Delhi, saying it was working as if it was a government agency.

Actress and singer Salma Agha and BJP MP from Kurukshetra (Haryana) Raj Kumar Saini also addressed the rally.

Agha pitched for unity of Dalits and minorities to achieve their goals and assert their rights.

Raj, along with his supporters, later tried to take out a protest march towards the Supreme Court, but the exit of the Ramleela Ground was blocked with barricades by the police.

The MP was detained, along with his supporters, and taken to a police station.