Delhi Police Detain CJP Founder Abhijeet Dipke Inside Aircraft, Thwart 'Jantar Mantar 2.0' Protest Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar

New Delhi: The Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) planned demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar was thwarted on Saturday after the Delhi Police detained its top leaders at the airport and rounded up protesters, Opposition politicians, student activists and lawyers attempting to reach the protest venue. Billed as “Jantar Mantar 2.0”, the demonstration followed the CJP’s first protest in June-July over the paper leak issue, which the party said had culminated successfully with the resignation of then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

CJP demands CEC's resignation over SIR

This time, the CJP sought Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The CJP and Opposition parties have alleged that the revision threatens voting rights and has resulted in nearly 13.3 crore people losing their votes. The Election Commission has denied the allegations.

CJP leaders detained inside aircraft

In a dramatic start to the day, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, co-convenor Saurav Das and leader Ashutosh Ranka were detained by Delhi Police personnel inside their aircraft shortly after it landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport from Mumbai.

A video of the confrontation showed Dipke challenging the police personnel to arrest him. “Come on, arrest us! We have come here to get arrested. We are not afraid of you guys,” he said.

In another video recorded shortly before his detention, Dipke accused the authorities of resorting to authoritarian methods, questioning the decision to detain political activists inside an aircraft. In a video shared by the CJP, Dipke can be heard telling police officers who entered the aircraft: "Police are not allowing to deboard the flight. They are causing inconvenience to the other passengers. Aap dekh sakte hain ki desh kis disha mein ja raha hai. Humein flight mein hi hirasat mein liya ja raha hai. Aisa toh kabhi Emergency ke dauran Indira Gandhi ne bhi nahi kiya tha. (You can see the direction in which the country is heading. We are being detained right inside the aircraft. Even Indira Gandhi did not do this during the Emergency.)”

Detained leaders taken to different locations

The three leaders were taken to different locations. According to reports, Dipke was taken to Gurugram, Ranka to Dwarka, while Das was moved to another location in Delhi.

The CJP condemned the action as a “pre-planned interception” aimed at crippling the protest leadership and demanded the immediate release of its leaders.

CJP vows to continue agitation

Anticipating their detention, Dipke had recorded a video handing over responsibility for the movement to CJP organisation in-charge Ajinkya Shinde.

“In our absence, Ajinkya will lead the protest and the CJP movement,” he said in the video, which was released after the leaders were detained.

The CJP subsequently vowed to continue its agitation, reiterating its demand for Kumar’s removal and calling for large-scale electoral reforms.

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Police cite lack of protest permission

Before detention, police personnel told the CJP leaders that they didn't have permission to hold their protest at Jantar Mantar.

Dipke said CJP leaders were being detained as if they were criminals.

In a statement, the party condemned the alleged detentions, claiming they were part of a pre-planned move to prevent its leaders from reaching the site of their proposed protest.