Delhi Police detained Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) key spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka on Tuesday morning. Officers took the two youth leaders into custody inside the historic Jantar Mantar complex. The incident occurred barely 24 hours after the Union government stripped Jantar Mantar of its status as a designated protest venue.
Authorities had locked the perimeter gates and stationed heavy security units around Parliament Street. However, Das and Ranka bypassed outer cordons and slipped past barricades into the restricted observatory grounds. According to on-ground reporting by The Hindu, police moved in immediately and escorted both activists away in police vans. Therefore, the leaders faced fresh detention just two days after their release from an earlier 24-hour custody.
Tricolor Demonstration Inside Barricaded Complex
The young organizers entered the premises waving the national tricolor to register a symbolic act of defiance. They chanted slogans demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over deleted voter rolls.
Video footage shared on social media showed the two activists standing near the central sundial before officers surrounded them. As reported by Hindustan Times, the pair argued that citizens do not require administrative permits to carry the national flag in public spaces. Furthermore, they stated that government notifications cannot erase public memory of democratic dissent. Consequently, security personnel locked the outer gates completely to prevent other student volunteers from entering.
CJP Leadership Rebuffs Ban on Jantar Mantar Agitations
The dramatic entry followed a 24-hour ultimatum that the party had served on Parliament Street police station. Party leaders had formally asked the police to allocate an official date for a peaceful gathering at Jantar Mantar. Instead of approving a date, the administration designated three alternative grounds at Ramlila Maidan, Burari, and East Delhi.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke condemned the morning detentions from Maharashtra. As reported by India Today, Dipke declared that authorities cannot simply denotify democratic resistance. In addition, party spokespersons warned that shifting protests to distant city borders serves only to silence public outrage. As a result, the party pledged to challenge the venue cancellation through civil disobedience.
Legal Battles and Multi-State Expansion Follow Crackdown
The fresh detentions coincided with crucial hearings before the Supreme Court on Tuesday. The top court is reviewing petitions regarding mass police detentions, transit shutdowns, and electoral roll modifications.
Meanwhile, CJP strategists announced plans to expand demonstrations to other states, including Rajasthan and Maharashtra. On the other hand, Delhi Police maintained that entering a restricted zone violates lawful prohibitory orders. Nevertheless, student organizations affirmed that symbolic actions will continue across the capital until the Election Commission addresses voter roll discrepancies.
Curated news reports, in-depth analysis, and special features by India’s Opinion editorial team.
