Delhi Police Detain CJP Leaders at Jantar Mantar

Delhi Police detained leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party and about 20 volunteers on Tuesday after protesters entered Jantar Mantar, a New Delhi site recently removed from the city’s list of designated protest venues. The group was calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over changes to voter lists. CJP said Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das and Ajinkya Shinde were among those detained. Videos posted by the party’s founder, Abhijeet Dipke, showed protesters crossing barricades, waving the national flag and chanting before police detained them. Police had not immediately commented on the detentions, and the reports did not give their legal basis or say whether the detained leaders had been released. Delhi Police announced on Monday that Jantar Mantar was no longer an official protest site and identified three alternative venues. The change came amid demonstrations in the capital over the voter-list revisions. Protesters nevertheless entered the site on Tuesday, with the party saying they had gone there to reclaim it. CJP supporters and opposition groups have held frequent protests this month seeking Kumar’s resignation.