Watch: Team CJP climb barricades to 'reclaim' Jantar Mantar after protest ban

CJP volunteers climb barricades to enter Jantar Mantar after protest site denotified

NEW DELHI: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das and Ajinkya Shinde, along with other party volunteers, sneaked inside the Jantar Mantar protest site in New Delhi on Tuesday morning and were detained by Delhi Police.CJP leader Saurav Das posted a video on social media showing him and other protesters raising slogans inside the Jantar Mantar campus. He claimed that they had “reclaimed Jantar Mantar”.

In a video shared by CJP leader Ashutosh Ranka, protesters were seen climbing over barricades and entering the Jantar Mantar campus.

In a post on X, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said several party members including Ajinkya Shinde, had been detained by Delhi Police."Cockroaches with the Tiranga sneaked into Jantar Mantar early this morning before they were picked up by Delhi Police," Dipke said."You cannot denotify the resistance," he added, tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi.This comes a day after Delhi Police removed Jantar Mantar from the list of designated protest venues, ending its long-standing status as a site for demonstrations in the national capital.In a notice issued by Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar, the police said the Ministry of Home Affairs had constituted a committee to identify suitable alternative venues where citizens could exercise their right to organise protests and demonstrations.

The decision was taken based on the committee’s recommendations.The three designated venues are Ramlila Ground in Central Delhi, Burari Ground in North Delhi and CBD Ground in East Delhi. Delhi Police said a detailed and revised standard operating procedure (SOP) governing protests at these locations would be issued separately.

The order partially modifies Standing Order No. L&O/48/22, dated April 28, 2022."Detailed and revised SOP for organizing protest/demonstrations at these three venues will be issued separately. This is in partial modification of earlier Standing Order No. L&O/48/22 dated 28.04.2022," the notice read.The move comes amid protests in the national capital demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.