CJP ISSUES 24-HOUR ULTIMATUM TO DELHI POLICE, VOWS FRESH MOBILISATION IF JANTAR MANTAR PROTEST REMAINS BLOCKED
October 12, 2026
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has given Delhi Police 24 hours to announce a date for its proposed peaceful demonstration at Jantar Mantar, warning that it will issue a fresh protest call if the authorities fail to respond. The ultimatum came on Sunday after three senior party leaders were detained at Indira Gandhi International Airport ahead of their planned demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
CJP co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka announced that he, fellow co-convenor Saurav Das, the party’s legal affairs head Ratna Singh and other leaders would visit Parliament Street police station at 10 am on Monday to seek permission for the demonstration. Ranka said the party expected the police to provide a date within 24 hours, failing which it would announce another protest.
The CJP had intended to demonstrate at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, demanding Kumar’s resignation 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 capital’s airport, preventing the leaders from proceeding to the planned gathering.
The three leaders alleged that police personnel forcibly removed them from the aircraft and took them into custody without showing them written grounds for their detention. Their detention occurred amid extensive security arrangements and restrictions across New Delhi designed to prevent the proposed demonstration from proceeding.
The leaders were released on Sunday after being produced before an executive magistrate. Following their release, they alleged that police had seized their mobile phones during detention and denied them access to legal counsel. They criticised the operation and maintained that the action would not force the party to abandon its campaign.
Ranka described the security measures as reminiscent of the Emergency, pointing to train cancellations and the alleged harassment of people attempting to reach Delhi for the protest. The CJP accused the authorities of obstructing its right to assemble peacefully and turning a campaign focused on the Election Commission into a confrontation with the ruling establishment.
The party’s demand centres on electoral transparency and allegations that the SIR process has resulted in irregularities affecting voter rolls. The allegations remain disputed, while the authorities have cited security and public-order concerns in explaining their restrictions on the planned gathering.
The CJP’s latest move shifts the immediate dispute towards negotiations with Delhi Police over a date for the demonstration. By setting a deadline and announcing its intention to approach Parliament Street police station, the party has signalled that it intends to pursue its campaign through another attempt to secure permission for a peaceful gathering.
If the police do not provide a date within the stipulated period, Ranka has warned that the CJP will issue a fresh protest call, keeping the confrontation over Kumar’s resignation and the electoral-roll revision exercise alive.
