NEW DELHI: Cockroach Janata Party activist Abhijeet Dipke on Wednesday asserted that while the group’s agitation against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar shares a common objective with the INDIA bloc’s protests, CJP will continue to operate strictly as an independent pressure group.
Clarifying CJP’s position on whether it would join hands with opposition parties, Dipke stated that both movements are united in opposing alleged electoral irregularities linked to the CEC, but ruled out merging with or joining any political party.
“Look, it’s nothing like that; all the protests are fighting for the same cause. We all share a single cause: we are all fighting against the way Gyanesh Kumar is rigging the elections and aiding Narendra Modi in retaining power,” Dipke said.
“Cockroach Janata Party is an independent pressure group, and it will always remain an independent pressure group. However, that does not mean we are opposed to the INDIA bloc; the INDIA bloc’s movement and our movement share the same cause,” he added.
Slams 5-day remand of activists
Dipke’s remarks come after CJP activists Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were remanded in five days of judicial custody following a demonstration near Jantar Mantar in the national capital.
Condemning the police action, Dipke accused the Central government of imposing an “unofficial Emergency” and questioned the rationale behind remanding activists for hoisting the national flag.
“I just want to tell Narendra Modi: If you are determined to impose an Emergency in the country-if you want to enforce one-then do it officially. Why are you acting like cowards by imposing an unofficial Emergency, where you detain people for five days simply for hoisting the Tricolour at Jantar Mantar? Even during the actual Emergency, things didn’t go this far,” Dipke said.
He further challenged the Prime Minister: “Since when has hoisting the Tricolour become such a grave sin in this country that you send people to judicial custody for five days for doing so? So, I want to tell Narendra Modi: stop being such a coward; show some courage. If you want to impose an Emergency, do it officially-if you have the guts.”
Responding to allegations of the movement being driven by “Urban Naxalism”, Dipke dismissed the claims outright. “Who is making these allegations? Why level allegations? If you are in power and want to investigate, then go ahead and investigate. What is the point of these accusations?” he asked.
Political and legal backlash
The action against the CJP youth activists has drawn sharp political criticism. Aam Aadmi Party leader Saurabh Bhardwaj slammed the move in a post on X, writing: “Saurabh Das & Ashutosh Ranka sent to 5-days judicial custody for waving Tiranga at Jantar Mantar. This is DICTATORSHIP.”
CJP activist Ajinkya Shinde, who revealed he was also detained during the demonstration, stated that the protesters had merely waved the national flag and raised slogans of “Vande Mataram” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”. Shinde added that CJP’s National Working Committee will meet shortly to decide the future course of action.
Representing the detained activists, Advocate Abhisht Hela questioned the legal basis under which Das, Ranka, and Shinde were remanded to judicial custody, challenging the grounds cited by the Delhi Police. He alleged that preventive legal measures were being misused to stifle democratic dissent.
According to Delhi Police sources, the activists were detained on Tuesday while attempting to enter Jantar Mantar to stage their protest. Authorities stated the activists faced charges of trespassing after the site was de-notified as a designated protest area.
The arrest and subsequent legal tussle come against the backdrop of escalating agitations by the CJP and opposition parties against CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the ongoing SIR exercise.
