Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained by police on Tuesday after they and members of their team climbed over the gates of Jantar Mantar and waved the national flag.
After their detention, Das and Ranka went live on Instagram from a police bus, reiterating their demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation at the designated protest site.
In the video, Das questioned the restrictions on access to Jantar Mantar, saying, “Who is the home minister to snatch Jantar Mantar from us? Jantar Mantar is a designated protest site.” Holding up a copy of the Constitution, he also said the document supported their position.
The detention came amid heightened security in the national capital earlier this month, when police deployed thousands of personnel and restricted transport in central Delhi to prevent large gatherings linked to the movement.
The CJP has been demanding Kumar’s resignation over the revision of electoral rolls, which critics allege disproportionately benefits the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The government has not accepted the allegation.
Tuesday’s action followed a series of detentions linked to the movement, including those of CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, other senior leaders and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee around October 10. They were subsequently released on court orders.
