'Cockroach Janta Party' movement prepares for new action in Delhi despite police pressure

The key facts

CJP called on supporters to gather at Central Park in Connaught Place on Friday, despite police bans
Two organisers, Sourav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were sent to jail for five days after entering the closed Jantar Mantar
The campaign is linked to the revision of electoral rolls (SIR), under which, according to critics, more than 130 million names were removed

New action despite bans

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement announced a new mass demonstration on Friday in Delhi, calling on supporters to gather at Central Park in Connaught Place. The action was named Lehra Do Tiranga ('Raise the Tricolour'). On Thursday evening, Delhi police warned that restrictions on public gatherings were in effect and participants risked facing legal consequences. Authorities also stated that the park would be closed for two days 'for administrative reasons', but were ready to allow a small group to wave the flag and sing the anthem in another location. CJP founder Abhijit Dipke said he was ready to risk arrest: 'I may also be jailed after this, but I am not worried. The Tricolour is my pride, and I will raise it.'

Previous crackdown and arrests

Less than a week ago, police disrupted the movement's previous mass action: Dipke and organisers Sourav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained right on a plane upon arrival in Delhi. Massive security measures were imposed in the capital — tens of thousands of police and security personnel blocked roads, closed metro stations and intercepted participants before they reached Jantar Mantar. The BBC recorded dozens of detentions, including journalists and students, as well as footage of a police officer slapping a detainee on a bus. Delhi police did not respond to questions about the use of violence. CJP compared the authorities' actions to the Emergency period of 1975–1977; police called the measures necessary to maintain order. The detainees were released on Sunday, agreeing to maintain peace and good behaviour.

Jantar Mantar closed to protests

After the crackdown, police removed Jantar Mantar from the list of approved protest sites, offering Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground or CBD Ground instead. Jantar Mantar is an 18th-century observatory next to parliament, historically one of India's main venues for public dissent. CJP accused the authorities of pushing protesters away from the centre of power to make actions less visible. On Tuesday, Das and Ranka returned there with a group of supporters, unfurled a flag and shouted slogans against the election commission chief. Police said they entered the closed area without permission, some through locked gates, and violated the terms of their release. On Wednesday they were sent to judicial custody for five days; another organiser, Ajinkya Shinde, was released on a bond of peaceful conduct.

The essence of the movement's demands

CJP grew out of a May incident when the Chief Justice of India compared part of the unemployed youth to cockroaches; Dipke turned the insult into an online movement. By July, protests over exam paper leaks led to the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Now the movement is demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing the election commission of favouring the ruling BJP. Both the commission and the government reject the accusations. The trigger was a large-scale revision of electoral rolls (Special Intensive Revision), which, according to critics, removed more than 130 million names, jeopardising the voting rights of legitimate voters.

Parallel opposition protests

The CJP campaign runs parallel to actions by opposition parties, which also accuse the election commission of manipulating rolls in favour of the BJP. Last week, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and other parliamentarians tried to walk to the commission's headquarters but were stopped and detained. Opposition members appealed to President Droupadi Murmu and went to the Supreme Court. Among the participants was Neha Bora of the left-leaning All India Students' Association (AISA), detained last Saturday and then marching alongside Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Gandhi condemned the arrests of CJP organisers and demanded that Jantar Mantar be reopened for peaceful demonstrators. Home Minister Amit Shah, for his part, accused the opposition of spreading lies about the voter verification and defended the election commission's independence.

Preparations for Friday

Police are preparing for a new mass gathering in central Delhi: on Thursday, senior officers discussed security measures and possible traffic restrictions around Connaught Place. The Delhi High Court refused to block the action after a petition from a local trader warning of disruption to traffic and business. Dipke called on those unable to reach Delhi to raise the flag and protest where they are.