Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka detained after climbing into Jantar Mantar with party workers.
Move came one day after Delhi Police scrapped the site as a designated protest venue.
Police named Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground as new demonstration spots.
CJP’s Saurav Das & Ashutosh Ranka Detained After Sneaking Into Jantar Mantar
The detentions came a day after Delhi Police removed Jantar Mantar from its list of designated protest sites, naming three alternative venues for demonstrations.
Summary
Delhi Police detained Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) chief spokesperson Saurav Das and national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka on Tuesday after they entered Jantar Mantar with other party members, two days after Delhi Police issued an order removing the site from its list of designated protest venues.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said Das, Ranka, Ajinkya Shinde and other party members had been detained. On Monday, the CJP gave Delhi Police 24 hours to specify a date and time for its proposed protest. Five people, including Das, Ranka, their lawyer and two members of the party’s North Zone team, visited Parliament Street police station to seek a date. Das said the police could decide when the demonstration would take place.
In a post on X, Dipke wrote: “Cockroaches with the Tiranga sneaked into Jantar Mantar early this morning before they were picked up by Delhi Police.” He named Das, Ranka and Shinde among those detained and added: “You cannot denotify the resistance.” A video shared by Dipke showed protesters climbing an iron gate and a police barricade, carrying the national flag and raising slogans.
According to The Indian Express, the group was suspected of entering the adjacent Janata Dal (United) office premises and scaling its boundary wall to reach Jantar Mantar.
The detentions followed Delhi Police’s announcement on Monday that Jantar Mantar would no longer be a designated venue for protests and demonstrations. The police named three alternative sites: Ramlila Ground in central Delhi, Burari Ground in northwest Delhi and CBD Ground in east Delhi. The decision drew opposition from the CJP, which had sought permission to demonstrate at the site. The order was issued on October 11.
The CJP has accused the Election Commission of irregularities in the SIR exercise.
The latest detentions follow the detention of Dipke, Das and Ranka on October 10, when they arrived in Delhi from Mumbai ahead of a planned protest against Kumar. They were released on October 11 after being produced before an executive magistrate, according to reports.
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