In 2024, Ashu had called me for advice asking me if I thought he should leave his McKinsey job to work for Jaipur where he’s from.
I had just been radicalized and heartbroken by the entire top leadership of AAP being in jail at the time. I told him, “Ashu this is the Wild West. You might believe that you will do everything right and follow all the rules, and keep your head up and do what’s right. But if the state wants to crush you, it will - and no one will care.” The optimist that he is, he obviously didn’t listen to me.
Three months ago, when Ashu took the plunge and joined CJP and became the lead negotiator on behalf of students with JP Nadda, I thought, Wow, how wrong was I! Maybe India has turned a page.
Cut to today - when Ashu is indeed being crushed by the state for his existence.
The point of this story is - Ashu is an inspiring person not just because he has walked into jail with a smile for the crime of holding a Tiranga in Jantar Mantar. It is also because he has always known the consequences of fighting this fight, and yet made the choices that he did.
It takes a certain crazy to face down the bully and take him head on. And Ashu is that crazy, both for his own good and not.
Release Ashutosh and Saurav NOW!