NEW DELHI, Oct. 10 -- The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Saturday announced that it would organise daily marches to Jantar Mantar until Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar is removed from office, refusing to withdraw its agitation despite widespread police detentions and extensive security restrictions across the national capital.
The announcement came after CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and senior leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained by Delhi Police shortly after their flight from Mumbai landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport. The detentions left the organisation's senior leadership unable to participate in the planned demonstration against alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
CJP organisation in-charge Ajinkya Shinde, who was designated to lead the movement in Dipke's absence, said the protests would continue until the organisation's demand for Kumar's removal was met.
"Every day, there will be marches to Jantar Mantar from now on, until Gyanesh Kumar is sacked as CEC," Shinde declared.
The announcement signalled a shift from Saturday's planned demonstration to a continuing protest campaign, with the organisation seeking to maintain pressure on the Election Commission and the Union government despite restrictions on public gatherings.
Leaders detained at airport
Dipke, Das and Ranka were detained after their aircraft arrived in Delhi on Saturday morning. Video footage showed police personnel entering the aircraft and approaching the CJP leaders before escorting them away.
In the footage, Dipke challenged the officers to arrest him and said he was not afraid of detention. A police officer responded that he was not being arrested and asked him to cooperate.
The CJP condemned the detentions and alleged that the authorities were attempting to prevent its leadership from reaching the protest venue.
In a video recorded before his arrival in Delhi, Dipke had anticipated the possibility of detention and authorised Shinde to lead the agitation until he and the other senior leaders were released.
The organisation also alleged that authorities had failed to provide adequate information about the whereabouts and condition of its detained leaders. Police, however, said Dipke had been informed of his grandmother's death and offered assistance to return home for the funeral.
Thousands detained across Delhi
Saturday's demonstration was met with an extensive police operation involving thousands of security personnel, barricades, restrictions on Metro services and the suspension of mobile internet in parts of central Delhi.
According to a Reuters report citing a Union Home Ministry official, more than 2,000 people were detained in Delhi as authorities sought to prevent protesters from assembling at Jantar Mantar.
Despite the restrictions, smaller demonstrations took place at several locations, including Rajghat and Dilli Haat, where protesters raised slogans demanding Kumar's resignation.
Police personnel detained demonstrators and transported them away in buses as groups attempted to assemble outside the heavily restricted central Delhi area.
Reports also indicated that several Opposition politicians were detained during the day, including Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Police defend restrictions
Delhi Police had denied permission for the Jantar Mantar gathering, citing security concerns and the organisers' failure to submit their application within the prescribed period. The authorities also referred to alleged violations of police directions during previous CJP demonstrations.
The security operation included restrictions at 45 Metro stations, road barricades and the deployment of more than 20,000 police and paramilitary personnel. The measures disrupted movement across several parts of Delhi as authorities attempted to prevent large groups from reaching the designated protest venue.
The CJP criticised the restrictions as excessive, maintaining that its supporters had intended to participate in a peaceful demonstration.
Election Commission row continues
The CJP's agitation centres on allegations that the SIR exercise resulted in the wrongful deletion of eligible voters from electoral rolls. The organisation has demanded Kumar's resignation and greater transparency in the electoral process.
The Election Commission and the BJP have denied allegations of electoral manipulation, maintaining that electoral roll revisions are intended to identify ineligible entries and ensure the accuracy of voter lists.
The announcement of daily marches has raised the prospect of further confrontations between protesters and police, although the CJP has not disclosed detailed arrangements for subsequent demonstrations.
Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc has separately announced plans for a major protest on Monday, with senior Opposition leaders also intending to seek the intervention of the Chief Justice of India over their concerns about the electoral process.
With its founder and several senior leaders detained, the CJP has entrusted Shinde with coordinating the next phase of its campaign. The organisation has maintained that Saturday's police action will not bring its agitation to an end.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.