CJP to restrategise Delhi protests once detained leaders return, says Abhijeet Dipke

New Delhi: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke said on Sunday that the group plans to sit down and work out its next move once its jailed leaders return. The outfit has been demonstrating in Delhi against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, alleging major irregularities in the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Dipke mentioned that any final call on their upcoming course of action will only happen after party members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka are back from judicial custody.

Dipke said, “Once Saurav and Ashu come, we will gather, restrategise, and determine how to move forward. Given what we have witnessed over the past few days, including the illegal arrests and detentions, it is clear that there is an attempt to intimidate us. However, we will neither be intimidated nor back down. This is a long battle, and we are fully prepared for it. Hopefully, both of them will be released today.”

Dipke granted conditional bail

The statement comes shortly after Dipke walked out on conditional bail on Saturday. He had been picked up by the police on Friday evening while heading towards central Delhi’s Connaught Place, and was later arrested.

Trouble had started brewing earlier that day. The CJP chief had called for a ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march scheduled for 5 pm on Friday, October 16. Just hours before the protest was set to begin, Delhi Police handed him a formal notice asking him not to take part in the march. Dipke still headed out for Connaught Place later that evening, leading to his quick detention.

Key CJP members remain in custody

While Dipke is out on bail, party spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka are still behind bars. A Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) remanded both of them to five days of judicial custody on Wednesday, following their entry into the de-notified protest area at Jantar Mantar a day earlier.

The outfit maintains that the ongoing legal actions and police crackdowns are an effort to silence their agitation, but insists their campaign against the ECI’s voter revision exercise will continue.