NEW DELHI: Police on Tuesday morning detained around 14 activists of the Cockroach Janta Party after they scaled locked gates and breached barricades at Jantar Mantar to hoist the Indian national flag. The incident occurred a day after the site was denotified as a designated protest venue by the Union Home Ministry and Delhi Police.
CJP leaders, including co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka, spokesperson Saurav Das, and National Organisation In-charge Ajinkya Shinde, climbed over the barriers to enter the area. Holding the Tricolour, the activists raised slogans such as “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and “Gyanesh Kumar isteefa do.” Videos circulating on social media showed the group briefly occupying the space before security forces stepped in.
Following the breach, Delhi Police took the group into custody and moved them to the Jaffarpur Kalan police station. Their lawyer later stated that initial access to the detained leaders and members was restricted.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke strongly criticized the police action in posts on X, questioning whether hoisting the national flag had become illegal. Stating that Jantar Mantar belongs to 140 crore Indians, Dipke vowed to continue raising the Tricolour at the location until Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resigns. Tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he declared that resistance cannot be denotified.
The breach follows a standing order issued on Monday by Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar, which denotified Jantar Mantar based on recommendations from a Home Ministry committee. The order directed future demonstrations to alternative designated venues, including Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground, and CBD Ground in East Delhi.
The CJP’s action is part of an ongoing protest demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which critics claim caused large-scale voter deletions. CJP leaders termed their brief entry a symbolic “reclaiming” of the venue, while police maintained that the group directly violated the newly imposed restrictions.
