CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke says the party will proceed with its October 10 protest at Jantar Mantar despite the police denying permission.
Delhi Police cited the short notice period and public-order concerns, while the party accused authorities of restricting protests against alleged electoral irregularities.
The proposed demonstration targets Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, with the dispute also drawing scrutiny from the Supreme Court.
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has vowed to proceed with the party’s October 10 protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, challenging the police’s decision to deny permission and arguing that the right to demonstrate is constitutionally protected.
In a statement ahead of Saturday’s planned agitation, Dipke questioned why organisers needed permission to protest at a designated site and accused authorities of trying to prevent opposition to alleged irregularities in voter rolls.
“Humara andolan ho kar rahega,” Dipke said, meaning “Our protest will go ahead”. Referring to Article 19 of the Constitution, he argued that citizens had a fundamental right to protest.
He also asked whether permission had been sought before what he described as the deletion of 13 crore votes, and alleged that the electoral process was being manipulated.
These claims are Dipke’s allegations; the Election Commission has said the voter-list revision is an ongoing verification exercise and that people wrongly excluded can re-enrol.
Delhi Police Cites Short Notice And Public Order Concerns
Delhi Police has denied permission for the protest, saying the application was submitted on October 7, just three days before the planned demonstration. Joint Commissioner of Police Nupur Prasad said applications for such events were required to be submitted at least 10 days in advance.
She also cited prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, which allows authorities to impose restrictions to prevent potential disturbances and maintain public order.
Police have also referred to concerns about compliance with directions issued during an earlier demonstration and warned that those violating the restrictions could face legal action.
Security has been tightened in the capital ahead of the planned gathering, with authorities preparing for possible disruption to traffic and public transport. The police have urged people not to join an unauthorised assembly.
Protest Targets Chief Election Commissioner
The CJP’s planned demonstration is aimed at Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, whose resignation the party is demanding over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.
Dipke and other critics have claimed that the exercise has resulted in large-scale voter deletions. The Election Commission, however, has maintained that the figures concern entries flagged during an ongoing revision process and that eligible voters can seek enrolment if their names have been wrongly excluded.
The proposed agitation has also drawn attention because of reports that CJP supporters were detained while travelling towards Delhi. The party has claimed that thousands of its supporters were detained across several states, although Reuters said it could not independently verify the figures or videos circulated by the group.
Dipke has insisted the protest will proceed, framing it as a movement to protect voting rights and democratic accountability.
The dispute has also reached the Supreme Court, where a plea concerning restrictions on public transport ahead of the protest prompted the court to question why the denial of permission for the demonstration had not been directly challenged.
The court observed that the right to peaceful protest at a designated site did not automatically exempt organisers from permission requirements. The legal proceedings add another dimension to the standoff as authorities prepare for Saturday’s planned gathering.
