CJP Leaders Detained After Entering Jantar Mantar, Challenge Delhi Police Order

NEW DELHI: The decision to remove Jantar Mantar from Delhi’s list of authorised protest venues triggered a fresh confrontation on Tuesday, when two prominent representatives of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) entered the premises by climbing over its locked gates and were detained by police.

Saurav Das, the party’s chief spokesperson, and Ashutosh Ranka, its national spokesperson, were among those taken into custody after the early-morning action.

A senior police officer said the group included at least 10 other people, some of whom entered the premises carrying the national flag. The demonstrators were protesting against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Videos shared by Ranka on X showed him, Das and the party’s national organisation in-charge, Ajinkya Shinde, scaling the gates before police personnel intervened.

The footage also captured members of the group raising patriotic slogans and demanding Kumar’s resignation.

Das later posted on X that the detained members had been taken to Jaffarpur Police Station. In a separate Instagram video, he declared that the group had managed to enter the venue despite the restrictions.

Ranka, meanwhile, insisted that their demand for the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation would continue to be raised at Jantar Mantar.

CJP says protest venue cannot be taken away

The party’s founder, Abhijeet Dipke, responded to the detentions by describing the action as an attempt to curb dissent.

In a post on X, he said the party’s members had entered the site carrying the Tricolour before police took them away. He also argued that withdrawing the venue’s official status would not end public resistance.

Das similarly portrayed the entry as a challenge to the new restrictions, saying the party had returned to Jantar Mantar within a day of its removal from the list of designated protest sites.

He called on the government not to restrict citizens’ access to the venue and renewed the party’s demand for Kumar’s resignation.

The statements reflect the CJP’s determination to continue its campaign despite the change in the rules governing demonstrations at the location. The police, however, detained the group after its members entered the premises through the locked gates.

Three alternative locations announced for demonstrations

The confrontation followed a Delhi Police circular issued on Monday announcing that Jantar Mantar would no longer be recognised as an authorised demonstration site.

The circular named three alternative locations for protests: Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in Shahdara.

According to the police communication, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had formed a committee to examine suitable alternatives that would allow citizens to exercise their right to organise protests and public demonstrations.

The decision to withdraw Jantar Mantar’s designated status was taken on the basis of the committee’s recommendations, the circular said.

The change has significant implications for groups that have traditionally used Jantar Mantar to draw public and political attention to their demands. Located in central Delhi, the site has long been associated with demonstrations on political, social and public-interest issues.

CJP’s earlier campaign brought national attention

Jantar Mantar had been a focal point of youth-led demonstrations organised by the CJP since June. The party, founded by Abhijeet Dipke, led a high-profile campaign over alleged examination irregularities.

The movement was followed by the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, according to the account provided in the report.

Reacting to the authorities’ decision to withdraw the site’s protest status, Dipke said the movement would not be confined to a single location.

In a post on X, he argued that although Jantar Mantar had been removed from the list of designated protest venues, the campaign would continue across the country.

The Tuesday detentions mark a new flashpoint in the dispute over access to Jantar Mantar, with the CJP signalling that it intends to continue pressing its demands even as authorities direct demonstrations to other locations.