New Delhi, 13 October—In a daring attempt a day after Delhi Police removed Jantar Mantar from the list of designated protest venues, Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) activists breached the Police cardon entering the site on Tuesday morning reclaiming the protest site, defying security restrictions before being detained.
The protesters, led by Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Ajinkya Shinde, crossed a Police cordon in an attempt to demonstrate at the venue. Despite being taken into custody, the group claimed it had achieved its objective by gaining access to the historic protest site.
The confrontation came as CJP continued its campaign demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in electoral roll revisions.
Das, who was among those detained, hailed the group’s entry into the venue in a post on X.
“Jantar Mantar has been reclaimed. We have entered Jantar Mantar and now we are being detained. But this is a message to all of us young gen! We can do it! Gyani, you’re done bro!”
Ranka described the protesters’ entry as a breach of the security arrangements, declaring, “Fortress Jantar Mantar has been breached.”
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke also shared visuals of the demonstration, including an image of Ranka waving the national flag.
In a separate post, Dipke confirmed that several activists had been detained after entering the venue and challenged the authorities’ decision to withdraw its status as a designated protest site.
“You cannot denotify the resistance,” he wrote, tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The incident followed a Delhi Police notification issued on Monday, October 12, removing Jantar Mantar from the list of officially designated locations for protests and demonstrations.
Under the revised arrangements, Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in east Delhi have been identified as alternative protest venues.
The decision followed recommendations from a committee constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to examine alternative locations where citizens could organise demonstrations.
The move drew criticism from opposition leaders and CJP activists, who argued that removing Jantar Mantar’s designated status would restrict opportunities for public dissent
Indian National Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised the decision and accused the government of attempting to curb democratic protests.
In a post on X, Ramesh described the move as a sign of political anxiety within the government.
“It is a definite sign of the extreme panic that has gripped the PM-HM duo that the historic Jantar Mantar will no longer be a place where our democracy is given a daily booster dose,” he wrote.
Tuesday’s detentions marked another confrontation between Delhi Police and CJP activists, whose campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has prompted heightened security across the national capital.
On October 10, CJP leaders, including Dipke, Das and Ranka, were detained at Delhi airport ahead of a planned demonstration. They were subsequently released following proceedings before an executive magistrate.
The protesters have accused the Election Commission of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and demanded Kumar’s resignation. The allegations remain disputed.
The latest protest has brought renewed attention to the removal of Jantar Mantar’s designated status, with activists insisting that the decision will not prevent them from continuing their demonstrations.
Veteran Journalist and Political Commentator
