CJP Leaders Sent to Judicial Custody Amid Protests in New Delhi
Judicial Custody for CJP Leaders
Police personnel outside the Tihar Jail, in New Delhi, on Wednesday. (Photo:PTI)
New Delhi, Oct 14: Leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, have been placed in five-day judicial custody at Tihar Jail following allegations of violating their peace bonds and unlawfully entering Jantar Mantar.
On Wednesday morning, the two were presented before the Executive Magistrate once again.
They were taken into custody early Tuesday for reportedly breaching barricades and accessing the Jantar Mantar area without permission while chanting slogans that called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
According to sources, the police have filed charges against the CJP members for trespassing, violating prohibitory orders, breaking a peace bond, and obstructing a public servant in the performance of their duties.
It was noted that Das and Ranka had previously signed agreements to maintain peace for a year after being detained during a protest on Saturday.
This incident occurs amidst increased security measures in the capital due to protests by the CJP and other groups against Gyanesh Kumar and alleged discrepancies in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
In response to these events, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke accused the central government of stifling dissent and challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to officially declare an Emergency if that was the government's intention.
While addressing reporters in Nagpur, Dipke stated, “I want to tell Narendra Modi that if you want to impose emergency in the country, then do it officially.”
He further criticized the government's actions, saying, “What is this, acting like cowards, imposing an unofficial emergency where you keep people in custody for five days just for waving the national flag at Jantar Mantar? That didn't even happen during the Emergency (imposed by Indira Gandhi in 1975).”
When asked about the protests by the Opposition INDIA bloc calling for the CEC's resignation, Dipke clarified that the CJP operates as an independent pressure group and intends to maintain that status.
“However, that does not mean CJP is against the INDIA bloc. The movement of the INDIA bloc and CJP's movement are for the same cause,” he added.