In brief
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) saw its key leaders, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, taken into custody after they broke into the heavily‑guarded Jantar Mantar protest site in Delhi. The incident came as the party staged a march demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amid accusations that the voter roll revision favoured Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party. Police tightened security across the capital, closing metro links and deploying thousands of officers after the government declared Jantar Mantar no longer a designated protest venue. The CJP’s actions stem from its origins as an online satire movement that grew into a youth‑led pressure group pushing for electoral transparency and governmental accountability.
Leaders of India’s Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) were detained early on Tuesday after they entered the heavily‑guarded protest site at Jantar Mantar and chanted slogans demanding the resignation of the Election Commission.
The party’s founder, Abhijeet Dipke, posted a video showing Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das being taken away by police. The footage captured the two, along with other demonstrators, clambering over barricades while holding the Indian flag.
Opponents of Prime Minister Narendra Modi claim the voter‑list revision benefits his party, a charge the CJP and the Election Commission reject. The protest was part of a wider movement demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Following the incident, Delhi police stepped up security across the capital, closing several metro stations, disrupting train services and deploying thousands of police and paramilitary personnel. Authorities announced that Jantar Mantar is no longer a designated protest venue, directing protest organisers to three alternative sites.
The CJP originated as an online satire movement after a judge compared unemployed youth to cockroaches during a hearing. The group evolved into a pressure group, tapping into broader anger over unemployment, exam irregularities and government accountability.
