Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Oct 10: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has named its organisation in-charge Ajinkya Shinde to lead its ‘Jantar Mantar 2.0’ protest in the national capital after its founder Abhijeet Dipke and two other senior members, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were detained by Delhi Police upon their arrival from Mumbai on Saturday. Meanwhile, stone-pelting was reported near Akashwani Bhawan during the protest, leaving two police personnel injured, officials said.
According to reports, around 25 to 30 protesters allegedly jumped barricades on Imtiaz Ali Marg near Akashwani Bhawan around noon and hurled stones at security personnel. Some protesters were detained following the incident. Police had denied permission for the demonstration and deployed personnel at key intersections and approach roads to prevent protesters from reaching Jantar Mantar.
Before his detention, Dipke had recorded a video on Friday night anticipating possible police action. The CJP shared the video on its social media account after the three leaders were detained.
“If you are watching this video, it means that I, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka have been arrested. In our absence, Ajinkya will lead the protest and the CJP movement. Please follow him,” Dipke said in the video.
The party said Shinde would lead the demonstration until the detained leaders were released. Shinde, who hails from Alibaug in Maharashtra, is a close associate of Dipke and serves as the CJP’s national organisation in-charge. He previously worked as a social media coordinator for the Aam Aadmi Party’s Maharashtra unit and had also worked with the party during its Goa election campaign.
Dipke, Das and Ranka were detained by police personnel who entered their aircraft shortly after it landed at the Delhi airport from Mumbai. They had travelled to the national capital to participate in the protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
The CJP has been campaigning against alleged irregularities in electoral rolls, particularly those linked to the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and changes relating to Form 6, which is used for new voter registration. The party alleges that the electoral process has been manipulated and has demanded Kumar’s resignation. The Election Commission and the Bharatiya Janata Party have rejected allegations of voter-list manipulation.
The proposed demonstration was scheduled to begin at 10.30 am on Saturday. However, police and paramilitary personnel prevented participants from reaching the designated protest area, where prohibitory orders were in force. Several protesters were detained at locations including Connaught Place, while others were sent back as they attempted to regroup and approach the venue.
The police had stepped up security across the New Delhi district, deploying personnel at key locations and setting up barricades to prevent unauthorised gatherings. Heavy traffic congestion was reported in several parts of central Delhi as security checks and road restrictions slowed vehicle movement. Police also used surveillance measures to monitor attempts by protesters to reach Jantar Mantar.
The crackdown extended beyond the three CJP leaders. The party alleged that its legal team head, Ratna Singh, and three other lawyers were also detained. In a video shared by the organisation, Singh was seen sitting inside a car surrounded by police personnel. She alleged that officers had not provided an official notice explaining the action and said she was being detained on the road. These allegations were made by the CJP and could not be independently verified.
YouTuber Dhruv Rathee was also detained by Delhi Police from his residence in Gurugram ahead of the protest, according to media reports. On Friday, police had detained around 200 people attempting to reach Jantar Mantar. A PTI report on Saturday said police had detained about 500 people as protesters tried to breach security arrangements, while other reports put the overall number of detentions across Delhi higher as the operation continued.
The CJP had issued an advisory urging participants to remain peaceful, avoid violence and damage to property, and refrain from forcing their way through barricades or entering restricted areas. It also called on protesters to follow lawful instructions and avoid spreading unverified information.
Despite the detentions and heightened security, the party maintained that its protest would continue under Shinde’s leadership, reiterating its demand for Kumar’s resignation over alleged electoral-roll irregularities.