Members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) were detained on Tuesday morning after entering the heavily-guarded protest site at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. The leaders were chanting slogans demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over a controversial revision of electoral rolls. Party founder Abhijeet Dipke shared a video showing Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das being taken away by police. Footage captured the individuals climbing over police barricades while holding the Indian flag.
Opponents of Prime Minister Narendra Modi allege that the voter list revision benefits his party, a claim that both the party and the Election Commission deny. Protests have been ongoing, with demonstrators calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. In response to the protests, police have increased security measures across Delhi.
Dipke, Das, and Ranka shared videos of their entry into Jantar Mantar, with Dipke stating, "You cannot denotify the resistance." Das declared that the site had been "reclaimed" and noted their detention. The exact location where police took the leaders was not disclosed.
Ranka later appeared on an Instagram live broadcast from a police bus, expressing that they would not back down. Security has been heightened in Delhi since the previous weekend, following the federal home ministry's announcement that Jantar Mantar would no longer be a designated protest venue, with three alternative locations provided for demonstrations with permission.
Ranka had previously posted on X that the CJP sought permission for a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar, warning of further demonstrations if there was no response. The CJP had planned a protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, but extensive security restrictions were imposed to prevent demonstrators from reaching the site, leading to the detention and release of thousands of individuals, including journalists.
On Monday, opposition parties, including the Congress party, held a march from Connaught Place to the Supreme Court, challenging the Election Commission's voter revision exercise, which has removed millions of names from electoral rolls. Critics argue that this risks excluding eligible voters and complicates the process of proving eligibility. The protests follow earlier student-led demonstrations over exam irregularities and demands for education reforms, with the CJP evolving from an online satire group into a pressure group advocating for change.