CJP Leaders Jump Jantar Mantar Gate, Detained by Delhi Police
Protest follows Centre’s decision to remove Jantar Mantar from designated protest venues; three alternative sites identified in Delhi
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 13th Oct: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, along with party volunteers, were detained by Delhi Police on Tuesday after allegedly jumping a gate and a police barricade to enter Jantar Mantar and stage a protest. The demonstration came a day after the Centre’s decision to denotify the central Delhi site as a designated venue for protests and sit-ins.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke shared a video of the incident on social media. The footage showed party volunteers carrying flags as they climbed over a gate and entered the area, raising slogans including “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Inquilab Zindabad”. Police personnel stationed at the site pursued the protesters and attempted to stop them before detaining the group, according to Dipke’s post.
Reacting to the action, Dipke challenged the Centre’s decision, writing that “you cannot denotify the resistance”. He also claimed that the removal of Jantar Mantar’s designated status would not stop demonstrations and asserted that similar protest sites would emerge across the country. Criticising the decision, he alleged that the move reflected the government’s concern over protests.
Jantar Mantar, located in a high-security area of central Delhi, has long served as a designated venue for demonstrations. Following recommendations from a committee under the Union Home Ministry, three alternative locations have been identified for protests and sit-ins in the national capital: Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in east Delhi.
The development comes amid demonstrations by the Opposition INDIA bloc and CJP against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) controversy. Delhi Police had tightened security around Jantar Mantar from October 10 and restricted protesters from entering the area.
The CJP had called for a demonstration at Jantar Mantar on October 10. Dipke, Das and Ranka were detained at the airport on the morning of that day, according to the account provided by the party. Protests and police action over the weekend also led to the detention of thousands of demonstrators, as the dispute over access to the designated protest site intensified.
