CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka detained from plane at Delhi airport

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke and party members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained by Delhi police from an aircraft at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Saturday, October 10. The preemptive move came ahead of the party’s proposed protest at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Delhi police entered the flight as soon as it landed and detained the three from the aircraft amid heightened security arrangements in the national capital ahead of the demonstration. Dipke went live on Instagram as police personnel entered the aircraft and detained the CJP members after they arrived in Delhi.

A video posted by Dipke showed an exchange between the CJP members and police personnel inside the aircraft. “You could have waited till we came out. Come arrest us, we are not afraid,” Dipke, who was wearing a T-shirt depicting Gandhi on a march, was seen telling the police personnel.

The detentions came amid a sweeping security crackdown across Delhi ahead of the proposed demonstration, which the CJP has called ‘Jantar Mantar 2.0’. Delhi police denied permission for the protest, citing concerns over law and order, public safety and possible inconvenience to residents.

The party’s proposed demonstration centres on allegations of irregularities in the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The CJP is demanding Kumar’s resignation, the scrapping of SIR and an independent process for selecting Election Commissioners.

The CJP has accused the Election Commission of electoral irregularities and called for greater accountability in the revision of electoral rolls. The party has sought to mobilise young people and other citizens against what it describes as “vote theft”, with its proposed demonstration directed at the Election Commission and its handling of SIR.

Ahead of the protest, Dipke alleged that the security restrictions imposed in Delhi were intended to prevent people from joining the demonstration. He also questioned the restrictions on public transport and movement.

“I wonder why the Prime Minister of this country is so afraid of the nation's youth and its people. What was the need to shut down all railway services? What was the need to halt all metro operations? They have cut off the internet and blocked the roads,” Dipke said.

He further alleged that the authorities were attempting to discourage people from participating in the protest and maintained that peaceful demonstrations were a fundamental right. “Protesting is our fundamental right. Article 19 grants us the fundamental right to protest in a democratic and peaceful manner, and that is exactly what we intend to do,” he said.

Dipke had also said he was prepared to face detention or arrest rather than abandon the campaign. “If they want to detain or arrest me, let them go ahead. I am ready for it; let them arrest or detain me. It makes no difference to me,” he said.

Delhi police had denied permission for the protest, stating that the intimation submitted by the party was not a duly filed application seeking permission and that guidelines required applications for demonstrations at the venue to be submitted at least 10 days in advance.

Authorities also cited alleged violations of conditions during earlier demonstrations, including protests continuing beyond stipulated time limits. The police said the decision was taken in view of law-and-order concerns and the potential inconvenience to residents.

Despite the denial of permission, Dipke maintained that the party would proceed with its campaign and called on people to join the proposed demonstration.

Around 35,000 Delhi police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed, anticipating that thousands of people could attempt to reach the protest site.

Security measures included barricades, intensified checks at Delhi’s borders, surveillance at sensitive locations and restrictions on public transport. Entry and exit facilities at several Metro stations were also restricted, while mobile internet services were suspended in parts of central Delhi.