Abhijeet Dipke questioned the detention of protesters and opposition leaders demanding the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation, while student leaders alleged police harassment of journalists covering the demonstrations.
New Delhi, October 15: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of waging a “war against their own countrymen” to protect Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. He questioned the police action against protesters and opposition leaders demanding Kumar’s resignation over alleged electoral irregularities.
Addressing a press conference alongside All India Students’ Association (AISA) leader Neha Bora, Students’ Federation of India (SFI) leader Aishe Ghosh and actor Prakash Raj, Dipke criticised the crackdown on demonstrators. His remarks came a day after CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were sent to Tihar Jail following a court order remanding them to five days of judicial custody.
Dipke Questions Heavy Security In Delhi
Dipke alleged that students, young protesters, opposition leaders and former chief ministers were being targeted for demanding action against Kumar. He questioned why the government had imposed extensive security arrangements across Delhi, including the closure of metro stations and restrictions on railway services, to deal with the demonstrations.
Referring to the reported detention of political leaders, including Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal and Pinarayi Vijayan, Dipke accused the government of using state machinery to protect the Chief Election Commissioner. He also questioned why security personnel from Jammu and Kashmir had been deployed in the national capital.
‘Why Is The Tricolour Being Treated As A Violation?’
Dipke criticised the authorities for allegedly treating the unfurling of the national flag during peaceful protests as a violation of the law. He questioned why demonstrators carrying the Tricolour had faced such a strong police response.
He also alleged that the security arrangements had turned Delhi into a heavily fortified zone. The scale of the restrictions raised questions about the government’s response to the protests, particularly when demonstrators were demanding accountability from the Election Commission.
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CJP Raises Questions Over Poll Body’s Independence
Dipke questioned the Centre’s support for Kumar and alleged that the protection extended to the Chief Election Commissioner raised doubts about whether he was helping the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) win elections. The allegations have not been independently established.
The remarks came amid continuing protests by the CJP and opposition parties over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Protesters have been demanding Kumar’s resignation, while the Election Commission has defended the revision exercise and the BJP has rejected allegations of political bias, TNIE reports.
CJP Leaders Sent To Tihar Jail
The controversy intensified after CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, along with party member Ajinkya Shinde, were detained on Tuesday for crossing police barricades, entering Jantar Mantar and raising slogans demanding Kumar’s resignation.
Jantar Mantar was recently de-notified as a designated protest venue, with authorities identifying three alternative locations for demonstrations. The three CJP members were booked on charges including obstructing a public official from discharging their duties.
A court subsequently remanded Das and Ranka to five days of judicial custody, while Shinde was released on a personal bond, according to CJP legal team head Ratna Singh, who shared the information in a post on X.
Opposition Leaders Condemn Detentions
The action against the CJP leaders drew criticism from opposition parties. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi condemned the detention of Das and Ranka, while leaders from several other opposition parties expressed support for the protesters.
Following the detentions, Dipke announced a ‘Tiranga Morcha’ at Central Park in Connaught Place, Delhi, on Friday, October 16, at 5 pm. He called on people to join the demonstration against the action taken against the CJP leaders.
Student Leader Alleges Harassment Of Journalists
At the same press conference, AISA leader Neha Bora expressed solidarity with journalists and accused the authorities of harassing media personnel covering the protests. She alleged that police had confiscated journalists’ cameras and threatened to withhold their equipment if they continued reporting on the demonstrations.
“We saw how cameras were snatched from journalists and they were told that they would not get the camera if they cover this,” Bora said.
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Sexual Harassment Allegation Against Delhi Police Officer
Bora also alleged that Delhi Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Vivek Bhagat had sexually harassed a woman journalist. She claimed that when the journalist approached the police to lodge a complaint against him, a counter-First Information Report (FIR) was registered against her. The allegations were made by Bora and have not been independently verified.
Questioning the conduct of the police, Bora accused law enforcement authorities of targeting ordinary citizens instead of protecting those seeking justice.
“What has happened in this country is that when common people approach the police seeking justice, the police, instead of maintaining law and order, support a particular political party and crack down on the public itself. This is a classic example of what we have been seeing in this country for so long,” she added.
