Cockroach Janata Party Activists Detained in Jantar Mantar Protest

The detention of Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka has fueled tensions between the CJP and federal authorities. Dipke explicitly linked the group’s grievances against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to the broader agitation led by the INDIA bloc. While maintaining that the CJP will remain an independent pressure group, he acknowledged that their objectives align with the opposition coalition’s claims of electoral irregularities during the Special Intensive Revision exercise.

Legal counsel for the detainees, advocate Abhisht Hela, challenged the police grounds for custody, arguing that authorities are weaponizing preventive detention to stifle dissent. Delhi Police officials contend that the activists were trespassing, as the Jantar Mantar site has been de-notified for public protests. The incident has drawn sharp criticism from political figures, including Aam Aadmi Party leader Saurabh Bhardwaj, who characterized the judicial remand as a sign of encroaching dictatorship. The CJP’s National Working Committee is expected to convene shortly to determine further escalation in response to the arrests.