Addressing rumours about his citizenship, popular YouTuber Dhruv Rathee pulled out his passport during a video and asserted that he holds Indian citizenship.
"First of all, I want to make one thing clear. This is my passport. I am an Indian citizen and always will be," Rathee said after showing his passport before the camera. He said those claiming that he is a foreign passport holder are blatant liars. "I have every right of a common citizen," he said.
He rejected claims that he had not intended to participate in the protest. Rathee further claimed that people were monitoring his movements and that he was unable to leave his house. "I was not detained, I was kidnapped," he said, describing his experience and questioning the manner in which he was taken from his residence on Saturday.
Rathee said around 20 people in plain clothes entered his house around 7:00 am on Saturday while he was sleeping and took him away before he could ask for an explanation. It was just his parents at home when the "goondas" barged in and took him away like a criminal, he alleged. He was not even allowed the time to wear any footwear.
Rathee said he was taken to different police stations and was not allowed to contact his lawyer or access a phone for around 22–23 hours. He also claimed he sustained injuries while being taken out of his bedroom.
“Have you heard of any democratic country where a common citizen who has not broken any law, who has only raised his voice for the truth, for the benefit of the country, who has demanded a better election commission, is taken from the bedroom of his house, kidnapped, his parents are beaten, and then taken away like this?” he said in the video recorded in Hindi.
“If this thing can happen to me, then it can happen to you, too. Think about it a little. For now, I am fine,” he further said.
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:
Earlier, the Delhi Police had said that Dhruv Rathee was released at 3:00 am on Sunday. Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were also released on Sunday after being produced before an executive magistrate, news reports from the national capital confirmed. Hindi media reports had said that police sources also stated that if any attempt is made to return to Jantar Mantar, further action will be taken.
