Delhi Police detained Cockroach Janta Party leaders after a flash protest at Jantar Mantar over alleged irregularities in India’s voter lists.
Web Desk: Delhi Police detained leaders of India’s youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Tuesday after demonstrators entered the barricaded Jantar Mantar protest site to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in voter-list revisions.
The party said its leaders Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Ajinkya Shinde were among those detained after protesters breached the barricades at the central New Delhi location.
According to reports by Dawn and Agence France-Presse (AFP), the demonstrators entered the restricted area, unfurled the Indian national flag and raised slogans before police detained them.
The protest came amid a wider wave of demonstrations by opposition groups and supporters of the movement over changes to electoral rolls and restrictions on public gatherings in the Indian capital.
Protesters Challenge Restrictions at Jantar Mantar
Jantar Mantar has historically served as a prominent location for demonstrations in New Delhi. However, Delhi Police announced on Monday that the site had been removed from the list of designated official protest venues.
Authorities identified three alternative locations for demonstrations, according to the reports.
Despite the restrictions and a heavy police presence, CJP members entered the barricaded area on Tuesday. A video shared online by party leader Abhijeet Dipke showed demonstrators climbing over barricades before police moved in.
The party described the action as an attempt to reclaim the protest site.
“You cannot denotify the resistance,” Dipke said in a social media post, tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Why Is the Cockroach Janta Party Protesting?
The CJP and opposition groups are demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.
Critics argue that the changes could disenfranchise eligible voters and have raised concerns about their potential political impact. The Election Commission of India has denied wrongdoing.
The dispute centres on the revision and verification of voter lists, a process that has become a major political issue amid demonstrations across several Indian cities.
The allegations against the election authorities remain contested. Claims of deliberate manipulation should not be treated as established findings without supporting evidence.
Police Detain Three Named Leaders
The CJP identified Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Ajinkya Shinde among those detained following Tuesday’s demonstration.
Reports said the action involved party leaders and volunteers who entered the restricted protest site. The precise total number detained during this particular incident was not independently established in the supplied report.
The latest detentions followed earlier police actions against protesters and activists involved in demonstrations over electoral-roll revisions.
The immediate legal status of those detained on Tuesday, including whether they were subsequently released or formally charged, requires further confirmation.
Political Dispute Continues
The protests have added to pressure on India’s election authorities, with opposition groups calling for accountability over the voter-list revision process.
The Election Commission has rejected allegations of wrongdoing, while supporters of the protests argue that electoral transparency and access to voting must be protected.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at a business conference in New Delhi on Tuesday, described India as the “mother of democracy” and said people in the country openly debate issues and different perspectives. The report did not indicate that he directly addressed the Jantar Mantar demonstration.
Further developments are likely to depend on the response from Delhi Police, the election authorities and the political groups involved.
