New Delhi, Oct. 12 -- Seeking to resume its agitation against alleged irregularities in electoral rolls, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Monday asked Delhi Police to announce a date for its proposed protest at Jantar Mantar within 24 hours, offering the authorities the flexibility to decide when the demonstration could be held.
CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka visited Parliament Street Police Station to seek permission for the gathering, days after the detention of party leaders and demonstrators ahead of the October 10 protest triggered fresh tensions over the restrictions imposed on the agitation. The party has been demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging irregularities in the exercise.
By leaving the choice of date and time to the police, the organisation said it was willing to accommodate the authorities' scheduling requirements, while seeking clarity on when its members could exercise their right to protest.
Speaking to reporters after approaching the police, Das said demonstrators were generally asked to apply well in advance before organising a gathering. The party, he said, was now prepared to let the police decide the schedule but wanted a response within a day.
Ranka also urged the authorities to respond to the request, warning that the organisation could announce its next course of action if no date was communicated within the stipulated period.
The development follows the detention of CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and party leaders Das and Ranka ahead of the proposed October 10 demonstration in the national capital. The three were released on Sunday after proceedings before an executive magistrate.
The detentions came amid heightened restrictions in parts of Delhi surrounding the planned protest, which had prompted concerns among demonstrators over their ability to assemble and raise objections to the electoral revision process.
The party has maintained that its agitation against the SIR will continue, with its latest move seeking a specific date from the police rather than an open-ended wait for permission.
CJP's demand also comes against the backdrop of the ongoing electoral roll revision in Delhi, during which questions have been raised over the treatment of voters whose entries require verification or whose details remain unmapped.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.