Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Tuesday accused Delhi Police of illegally detaining three party members who reached Jantar Mantar and unfurled the national flag, calling their detention “kidnapping” and alleging that they were being denied access to lawyers.
CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained after reaching Jantar Mantar amid heavy barricading and a strong security presence. Dipke said another team member, Ajinkya Shinde, had also been detained.
In a post on X, Dipke questioned how police could prevent lawyers from meeting the detainees and demanded action against those responsible.
Speaking to reporters in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district, he asked, “Since when has unfurling the tricolour become a violation (of law)? Those who think that waving the national flag at Jantar Mantar is a violation are traitors.”
He said strict action should be taken if the three were arrested for carrying the national flag, describing the detention as an example of a “dictatorial mindset”. The CJP’s legal team would approach the court over the detention, he added.
Dipke also reiterated that protests would continue across the country if demonstrations were barred at Jantar Mantar, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of suppressing democratic dissent.
“ If they think the protest will stop if Jantar Mantar is denotified as a protest site, then the entire country will turn Jantar Mantar. Jantar Mantar is the spirit of every agitator,” he said.
Dipke said he would reach Delhi on Wednesday to join the CJP’s agitation demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. If police stopped or detained him on the way, he would begin the protest wherever he was stopped, he added.
Delhi Police issued a standing order on October 11 denotifying Jantar Mantar Road as a designated protest site. It identified Ramlila Maidan in central Delhi, Burari Ground in north Delhi and CBD Ground in east Delhi as alternative venues for large demonstrations.
Dipke made the remarks at his native village, Santuk Pimpri, after attending the asthi visarjan of his grandmother, Savitribai Dipke. He later said he had contacted his legal team about the detention of CJP members while sitting in a car at a farm in neighbouring Kundkar Pimpri village.
(With inputs from PTI)