The Cockroach Janta Party has claimed that authorities could take action against some of its prominent members before its proposed October 10 demonstration in New Delhi.
CJP co-convener Ashutosh Ranka said on Monday that he, party founder Abhijeet Dipke and Saurav Das had received information suggesting that they could be detained before the planned mobilisation. According to Ranka, the possible arrests could be carried out under the National Security Act or other similar legal provisions.
Ranka shared the allegation through a post on X, saying that several sources had approached the three leaders with information about the possible action. He did not provide details identifying those sources or any official confirmation of the alleged arrest plans.
The CJP leader said he and his colleagues had been prepared for the possibility of imprisonment since the organisation began its agitation on June 6. He maintained that the prospect of arrest would not force the group to abandon its campaign.
Ranka also accused the government of using coercive measures because it was under pressure from the movement. He said the CJP leadership was prepared to face arrest or other forms of action while continuing to demand greater accountability.
The organisation's campaign has largely focused on Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The CJP has questioned aspects of the revision process and has called for Kumar to step down.
The issue has gained further political attention following a report by The Indian Express. The report stated that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on multiple occasions concerning decisions and orders associated with the SIR exercise. It also reported that nearly 13.3 crore names had been left out of the electoral rolls during the process.
The CJP has planned a major demonstration at Jantar Mantar on October 10 as part of its continuing campaign. The group has described the Delhi event as an important next stage of its agitation. Demonstrations have also been announced in Goa, Bengaluru and Kolkata.
Saurav Das has separately made similar allegations regarding possible arrests. He claimed that the government could target him along with Dipke, Ranka and Ratna Singh. Das has appealed to supporters to keep the movement active even if members of the leadership are detained.
The allegations come shortly after the CJP held a demonstration in Mumbai on October 2. The protest took place around Shivaji Park despite police refusing permission for the proposed gathering at the venue.
The organisation had previously announced a “Jail Bharo Andolan” following the denial of permission. Police later filed an FIR over the Mumbai gathering, citing allegations including unlawful assembly, traffic obstruction, slogan shouting and the unauthorised use of loudspeakers.
Several CJP leaders, including Dipke, Ranka and Das, were named or mentioned in connection with the case.
The Mumbai demonstration also attracted the participation or support of several public figures, including actor Naseeruddin Shah, composer-singer Vishal Dadlani and actor Shabana Azmi.
With the Delhi protest approaching, the CJP leadership has indicated that it intends to proceed with the mobilisation despite the reported possibility of arrests. Dipke has repeatedly said that the campaign will continue until Gyanesh Kumar steps down from the post of Chief Election Commissioner.
