In brief
Founder Abhijeet Dipke and other CJP leaders were taken into custody in Delhi as police barred a protest over claims that the Election Commission’s voter‑roll revision favours the ruling party. Heavy security sealed off Central Park in Connaught Place, limiting entry to the rally. Despite the detentions, supporters carried out a flash‑mob style march and the movement pledged to keep protesting. Opposition politicians followed the police crackdown by being held during attempts to march to the commission’s headquarters. The CJP’s future momentum now hinges on how it mobilises without its three main leaders in custody.
Raid on the CJP founder
Police entered the home of 23‑year‑old Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, and hauled him in a marked van after an Instagram clip of him challenging officers about flag‑waving circulated online.
A protest blocked at its start
Hundreds were already gathering outside Central Park in Connaught Place when authorities sealed the perimeter and sent in thousands of police and paramilitary units. Protesters marched along the park’s edges, waving Indian flags and shouting slogans, while journalists queued on either side of the police line.
Claims of electoral manipulation
The CJP accuses the Election Commission of carrying out a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter roll that would advantage the ruling BJP. The commission insists it is only removing ineligible, dead and duplicate entries. Both sides refuse to concede.
Other leaders in custody
Co‑founders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were taken into police custody last weekend after a protest at Jantar Mantar was declared off‑limits. They spent five days in jail before release under an agreement to stay out of public gatherings.
CJP vows to continue
CJP spokesperson Mehr Pasricha said arrests will not stop the movement. "If the top three stay behind bars, we will keep protesting peacefully," she told the BBC.
Opposition reaction
Opposition leaders such as Rahul Gandhi were also detained while attempting to march to the election commission’s headquarters. They have taken their petitions to the President and the Supreme Court, demanding a reopening of Jantar Mantar.
Home Minister Amit Shah defended the commission’s independence and called the opposition’s claims false.
What next for the CJP
With its three main leaders in custody, the movement faces the challenge of sustaining momentum. The CJP has already trained a network of supporters to hold miniature marches in smaller groups, taking selfies with the flag and uploading them online.
