The Cockroach Janata Party will proceed with its Delhi protest demanding the Chief Election Commissioner resign over electoral transparency concerns. Ajinkya Shinde will lead the demonstration at Jantar Mantar because founder Abhijeet Dipke and two other leaders were detained by police upon arriving in the capital.
Ajinkya Shinde to Lead Jantar Mantar Protest, Says Dipke in Pre-Recorded Video
The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) plans to press ahead with its protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, with organisation in-charge Ajinkya Shinde set to lead the demonstration while three of its prominent members remain in detention.
CJP’s organization in-charge Ajinkya Shinde will lead the protest near LIC building in the outer circle of Connaught Place, with the agitation expected to begin shortly.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained by Delhi Police after arriving at the national capital on Saturday, October 10, to attend the planned protest. The three were taken from their aircraft shortly after it landed at Delhi airport.
In a pre-recorded message, Dipke said Shinde would lead the demonstration for as long as the three leaders remained detained. The party said Dipke had filmed the video on Friday night because he anticipated that police might arrest him before he could reach Jantar Mantar.
CJP Signals Protest Will Continue Despite Detentions
The decision to put Shinde in charge signals the party's intention to continue with its planned mobilisation despite the detention of its key organisers. The protest centres on a demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation, with the CJP raising concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The party has argued that its campaign is about electoral transparency and the right to question the election process. Its leaders had planned to gather at Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site in Delhi, but police denied permission for the October 10 demonstration, citing procedural and law-and-order concerns.
What Happens Next?
With Shinde expected to lead the gathering, the protest's course will depend on developments at the site and the response from authorities. The detention of Dipke, Das and Ranka has become a central issue for the party, which says it will not abandon its demonstration while its leaders remain in custody.
The CJP's announcement comes amid heightened security across the capital ahead of the planned protest. Further details about the detained leaders' status and the scale of the gathering were not immediately clear.
