Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke was detained by the Delhi Police after landing in the capital on Saturday, where he was travelling to lead a protest at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of India’s Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Dipke had left Mumbai by air earlier in the morning to join the demonstration despite extensive restrictions imposed by the authorities, NDTV reports.
Before his detention, he criticised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the central government, alleging that they were afraid of the country’s youth and ordinary citizens and had effectively conceded defeat even before the protest began.
The CJP later condemned what it described as the “authoritarian detention” of Dipke and two other party leaders, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, alleging that they were intercepted by the Delhi Police immediately after their flight landed in the capital.
In a statement, the party accused the police of carrying out a pre-planned operation to prevent its leadership from reaching the protest venue.
“This pre-planned interception by the Delhi Police aims to cripple the leadership of today’s peaceful demonstrations before they even reach the protest site,” the CJP said.
The party denounced the action as a violation of freedom of movement and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Dipke, Das and Ranka.
Dhruv Rathee also detained
The detentions came amid a broader police operation ahead of the CJP demonstration.
On Saturday morning, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee and Ratna Singh, head of the CJP’s legal cell, were also detained at their homes to prevent them from joining the protest.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police detained more than 1,000 suspected protesters from different areas overnight, as authorities intensified efforts to prevent a large gathering at Jantar Mantar.
The detentions followed the police’s decision on Friday to deny permission for the CJP’s protest. The police cited the fact that the request had not been submitted sufficiently in advance.
Despite the denial of permission, the party had maintained its intention to proceed with the demonstration against Indian Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Metro Stations Shut, Trains Cancelled
Entry and exit services at 45 Delhi metro stations have been suspended, while dozens of trains have been cancelled as authorities seek to restrict the movement of protesters towards the demonstration site.
The Centre has deployed more than 20,000 personnel from the police and the Central Armed Police Forces to maintain law and order and prevent any escalation during the protest.
The extensive security arrangements, transport disruptions and detentions have heightened tensions between the authorities and the protest organisers.
With the CJP demanding the release of its detained leaders and the police enforcing restrictions on the unauthorised demonstration, the protest has become a major point of confrontation in the capital.
