In brief
The founder of India's Cockroach Janta Party, Abhijeet Dipke, was seized by police on a Friday night in Delhi, just before a planned protest in Connaught Place. The crackdown follows earlier raids that saw Dipke boarded his plane and other leaders jailed for interfering with election rolls. Thousands of supporters streamed to an alternative gathering spot, while journalists, students and activists were also detained by police. The movement’s demands have merged with a larger wave of opposition protests, with leaders calling for the reopening of historic protest sites and the release of all detained organisers.
The founder of India’s youth‑led Cockroach Janta Party, Abhijeet Dipke, was seized by police in the capital on a Friday night, just before a planned march in Connaught Place to demand the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner.
Police had warned that any gathering in the city’s busiest shopping district would be banned; thousands of officers were already positioned around streets and transport hubs to block the protest. Dipke was dragged into a police van the moment he stepped out of his car and was held overnight, before being released the next day.
The crackdown follows an earlier raid last Saturday that saw Dipke boarded his plane at Delhi International Airport, and two other CJP leaders jailed for five days after entering the historic Jantar Mantar site, now declared off‑limits for demonstrations. The CJP has linked the interceptions to accusations that the Election Commission is biasing the 2027 election by scrubbing more than 130 million names from electoral rolls.
Thousands of supporters streamed to an alternative gathering point near the central park, waving tricolour flags and chanting slogans. Reporters and students were also seized by the police, with footage showing officers dragging detainees into buses and, on one occasion, slapping a protester inside a vehicle.
Opposition and Student Front Rally Together
The CJP’s demands have dovetailed with a wider wave of opposition protests led by Rahul Gandhi, who was himself stopped and detained when he attempted to march on the Election Commission headquarters. Parliament officials have defended the move as necessary for public order, while the opposition accuses the authorities of stifling dissent.
As nights draw, the Police plan to keep a cordon around central Delhi and have designated three alternate protest sites. Despite the curfew, activists are calling for the immediate release of all detained organisers and a reopening of Jantar Mantar.
The confrontation has drawn international attention, with the CJP likening the police action to the 1975 emergency when civil liberties were suspended. The movement’s leadership has vowed that protests will continue regardless of detentions.
