The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has tasked Maharashtra-based leader Ajinkya Shinde with leading its protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh
Kumar after founder Abhijeet Dipke and co-convenors Saurabh Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained at the Delhi airport. In a video message, Shinde said Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurabh Das had been detained, accusing the Narendra Modi-led government of attempting to prevent people from assembling at Jantar Mantar for the planned protest. "The CJP leadership -- Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurabh Das -- have been detained by the dictator government of PM Modi and Amit Shah at the Delhi airport. The government is scared," Shinde said. He alleged that the authorities had taken steps to restrict public movement, claiming that trains, metro services and buses had been stopped to prevent people from reaching the protest venue. Recalling the CJP's previous mobilisation at Jantar Mantar, Shinde claimed the government was apprehensive about another large gathering. He said the earlier protest had challenged the "ego" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
CJP Calls For Fresh Mobilisation At Jantar Mantar
Shinde said the CJP was demanding what it described as people's democratic rights, particularly the right to vote, and reiterated the party's demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged vote theft."We are only asking for our rights. The people of the country are only asking for their rights. The people are asking for their right to vote, which was stolen. We were only asking for the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar, who was involved in vote chori," he said.
Accusing the government of imposing an atmosphere of emergency in Delhi, the CJP leader urged people across the country to gather at Jantar Mantar in large numbers.
"If police tries to stop you, make your Jantar Mantar wherever you are stopped," Shinde said, calling on supporters to continue the mobilisation even if they were prevented from reaching the designated protest site.
Ajinkya Shinde To Lead Protest
CJP on Saturday announced that its organisation in-charge Ajinkya Shinde would lead the protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar as long as Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka remain in detention.The group also released Dipke's pre-recorded video in which he named Shinde to lead the protest at Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Earlier in the day, Dipke and CJP co-conveners Das and Ranka were detained by Delhi Police from the flight after landing at the Delhi Airport ahead of the group's proposed protest at Jantar Mantar.
