Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, along with co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were detained by Delhi Police moments after their Air India flight from Mumbai landed in Delhi. Dipke shared a video on Instagram, showing police officers boarding the aircraft to apprehend them.
The CJP leaders had arrived in Delhi to participate in a planned protest at Jantar Mantar, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The party has raised allegations of voter-list manipulation during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and irregularities concerning Form 6, used for voter registration.
Police Cites Lack of Protest Permission
According to the CJP, police personnel informed the three leaders that they did not possess the necessary permission to hold the demonstration at Jantar Mantar. In the video shared by Dipke, he challenged the officers, stating, "We are here to be arrested, come and arrest us."
Dipke accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of acting out of fear, condemning their treatment as "criminals." He remarked, "Something like this didn’t happen even under Indira Gandhi," labeling the current administration a "dictatorship" and raising the slogan "Inquilab Zindabad."
In a formal statement, the CJP denounced the detentions as a pre-planned effort to prevent their leaders from reaching the protest site. The party asserted that the action constituted a violation of freedom of movement and called for the immediate and unconditional release of Dipke, Das, and Ranka.
Wider Crackdown on Protests
The detentions of CJP leaders were part of a broader crackdown on protests across the capital. Several members of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and other student organizations, along with lawyers, were also detained while attempting to march towards Jantar Mantar.
- SFI national president Adarsh M Saji reported that over 400 members were detained after their march began.
- Protesters voiced concerns about democracy, calling the situation a "fight between autocracy and democracy."
- Lawyers marching from the Supreme Court were also stopped and detained near the court's barricades.
Delhi experienced heightened security measures, with approximately 25,000 police and paramilitary personnel deployed. Entry and exit restrictions were enforced at 45 metro stations, and surveillance was intensified at borders, railway stations, and bus terminals. Delhi Police had previously denied permission for the CJP's demonstration, citing security concerns, inadequate notice, and past compliance issues during earlier protests.