CJP calls fresh protest as Delhi detentions trigger backlash (Img: IANS)
New Delhi: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has called for a fresh protest at Jantar Mantar on Sunday, even as its founder Abhijeet Dipke and co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka remained out of contact after being detained by Delhi Police.
The three leaders were detained shortly after their flight landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport on Saturday. The party said it had been unable to contact them for more than 12 hours and did not know where they were being held.
With its top leadership unavailable, CJP leader Ajinkya Shinde took charge of mobilisation and announced that the party would assemble at Jantar Mantar at 10 am on Sunday, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The fresh call follows Saturday’s police action, during which more than 3,000 people were detained. Delhi Police had denied permission for the planned demonstration, citing security and law-and-order concerns.
More than 20,000 police and Central Armed Police Forces personnel were deployed across the capital, including around 6,500 in the sensitive area around Jantar Mantar. Barricades, checkpoints, detention centres and surveillance equipment were put in place. Around 150 people who gathered at Connaught Place were detained, while more than 600 people with criminal antecedents were taken into preventive custody.
The security measures disrupted public transport, with several Metro stations shut and train services cancelled. Mobile internet services were also suspended within a four-kilometre radius of the Janpath-Kartavya Path area.
Security was tightened along the Delhi-Noida border, including at the Chilla border, while checkpoints and traffic restrictions caused congestion on several routes. After 10 pm, entry and exit gates at all Delhi Metro stations were reopened, and interchange facilities were restored at the affected stations.
Markets and establishments in Connaught Place, which had remained shut amid the security restrictions, are scheduled to reopen on Sunday. The New Delhi Traders Association (NDTA) advised traders to remain vigilant and ensure adequate security arrangements.
Several opposition leaders were detained while attempting to join the protests, including former chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, Pinarayi Vijayan and Manik Sarkar.
Banerjee said she and other Trinamool Congress leaders were taken away in a police vehicle after being stopped from proceeding towards Jantar Mantar. She said she would remain in Delhi and take part in the Opposition’s planned mobilisation.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticised the police action. Rahul Gandhi accused the government of targeting protesters and Opposition leaders, while Priyanka Gandhi questioned the restrictions imposed across the capital.
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk warned that he could begin an indefinite fast or march if those detained during the Delhi protest were not released. He appealed for peaceful demonstrations and unity, describing the detentions as an undeclared emergency and invoking Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy of nonviolence while raising concerns about democratic freedoms.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal, meanwhile, criticised Rahul Gandhi and Opposition MPs over their conduct towards President Droupadi Murmu. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also criticised the protests and praised Delhi Police for handling the situation.
