The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has vowed to resume protests against alleged electoral roll irregularities at Jantar Mantar at 10 am on Sunday, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The renewed call comes a day after police detained protesters, activists and political leaders during demonstrations in Delhi.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, CJP national organisation in-charge Ajinkya Shinde said the party would not back down despite the detentions.
“The government must have thought we will return home after the detentions today. This fear of Modi, Shah shows we have won half the fight,” Shinde said.
“As many people as you detain, we will not go back till Gyanesh Kumar resigns. We will head to Jantar Mantar again at 10 am tomorrow,” he added, urging people to join the protest and continue demonstrating wherever police stopped them.
The party said civil disobedience and street protests would continue across the country until accountability was established over alleged deletion and manipulation of 13 crore votes.
CJP representatives condemned the detention of party leaders and other protesters, accusing the authorities of imposing an “undeclared Emergency” to prevent peaceful assembly. Shinde also criticised the heavy security deployment and restrictions, alleging that Delhi had been turned into a “cantonment or fortress”.
He claimed that more than 15,000 people, including students, civil society members and political figures, had faced detention and police action. He further alleged that restrictions on public transport and the deployment of signal jammers were aimed at suppressing peaceful demonstrations.
Nationalist Congress Party spokesperson Anish Gawande accused authorities of attempting to create divisions between civil society groups and opposition parties participating in protests against the Chief Election Commissioner.
Gawande said opposition parties and civil society organisations had demonstrated unity during protests in Maharashtra and Delhi and would continue to work together to demand accountability.
Srijan Bhattacharya of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) said, “We are working with broadest possible unity against dictatorship.”
The CJP representatives also criticised restrictions on access to Jantar Mantar, metro station closures, train service suspensions and preventive detentions at transit hubs, alleging that the measures obstructed peaceful assembly.
The organisers said their campaign for electoral transparency would continue across multiple states until constitutional rights were safeguarded.
“Civil disobedience and street protests will continue relentlessly until jails are filled and the government is held accountable. Democracy is not for sale,” the party said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory warning of possible disruptions across New Delhi and central Delhi on Sunday, October 11, amid the law-and-order situation.
Traffic diversions may come into effect from 6 am, depending on ground conditions. Areas likely to be affected include Jantar Mantar, Sansad Marg, Connaught Place, Mandi House, Rail Bhawan, Patel Chowk, Dhaula Kuan, Lodhi Road and Sardar Patel Marg.
Commuters travelling towards railway stations, inter-state bus terminals and the airport have been advised to allow extra travel time and avoid non-essential journeys. The police said restrictions could change depending on the situation and urged the public to follow updates on the Delhi Traffic Police website.
The CJP’s renewed protest call follows Saturday’s security crackdown, during which police detained protesters, activists, political leaders and others at several locations, including routes leading to Jantar Mantar.
The demonstration was organised to demand Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Delhi Police had denied permission for the gathering, and several protesters were detained before reaching the proposed venue.
(With inputs from PTI)