After airport detentions, CJP gives Delhi Police 24 hours to set date for Jantar Mantar protest

CJP co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka on Sunday said he and other leaders of the outfit would approach Delhi Police on Monday to seek a date for holding a peaceful protest at the Jantar Mantar, a day after three of its top leaders were detained at Delhi airport ahead of its planned demonstration in the capital.

In a post on X, Ranka said he, along with Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) co-convenor Saurav Das, legal head Ratna Singh and other leaders would visit the Parliament Street Police Station at 10 am on Monday to seek a date for the protest.

"Delhi Police can give us a date for Jantar Mantar in 24 hours, else the CJP will give another protest call," Ranka said.

The CJP had planned to hold a protest at the Jantar Mantar on Saturday, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

However, Delhi Police detained CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, Ranka and Das after their flight from Mumbai landed at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Saturday.

The leaders alleged that they were forcibly removed from the aircraft and taken into custody without being shown written grounds for their detention.

Their detention came amid extensive security arrangements and restrictions across the national capital ahead of the proposed demonstration, with the CJP accusing the authorities of preventing the protesters from reaching the designated protest site.

The three leaders were released on Sunday after being produced before an executive magistrate. After their release, the trio alleged that their phones had been seized during detention, and that they were denied access to legal counsel, even as they vowed to continue their agitation.

Ranka had described the developments as reminiscent of the Emergency, saying trains were cancelled and protesters were harassed to prevent them from reaching Delhi.

The leaders also accused the government of turning their campaign against the Election Commission into a confrontation with the ruling establishment.