Delhi Police have placed three leaders of the satirical political group Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, under preventive arrest ahead of the second day of planned protests at Jantar Mantar, amid heightened security across the national capital, reported NDTV.
The three leaders were detained on Saturday after their flight from Mumbai landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI). Police personnel reportedly boarded the aircraft and took them into custody before they could proceed to the protest venue.
ALSO READ: Sonam Wangchuk Issues Hunger Strike Warning After CJP Leaders' Detention In Delhi
Also Read | Layoffs Are Rising In Tech, But These Skills Are Helping People Unlock Better Pay
According to reports, the leaders were subsequently taken to separate locations. Dipke was reportedly moved to a detention facility in Gurugram. The trio was expected to be produced before an executive magistrate in Delhi Cantonment on Sunday as part of the preventive-arrest process.
The detentions came as protesters prepared to demonstrate against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, demanding his resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Protest organisers have raised concerns about alleged manipulation of voter lists and the deletion of eligible voters.
Despite the police action, CJP leader Ajinkya Shinde said the demonstrations would continue, asserting that protesters would march towards Jantar Mantar and persist with their demands until the chief election commissioner's resignation, as per NDTV.
The detentions followed a sweeping security operation across Delhi on Saturday, when more than 3,000 protesters, including political figures, were reportedly detained and later released. Police personnel were deployed at key locations across central Delhi, while restrictions were imposed to prevent gatherings and maintain law and order.
The measures significantly disrupted efforts by demonstrators to assemble at Jantar Mantar, a designated protest venue in the capital.
The controversy has also acquired a political dimension, with opposition parties supporting the demonstrations and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing the movement of being aligned with opposition forces.
The CJP has criticised the restrictions on protests, describing them as resembling an undeclared emergency, and has called for accountability over the alleged electoral-roll irregularities.
The allegations concerning voter-list manipulation have not been established as findings in this account, and the demands against the chief election commissioner remain part of the protesters' campaign.
With the three leaders in preventive custody and security restrictions continuing, organisers have maintained that their agitation will go ahead despite the detentions. The developments have intensified the confrontation between protest organisers and the authorities over demonstrations and electoral accountability in the national capital.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
