CJP protest: Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das detained at Delhi’s IGI airport | Who else was taken into custody?

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, other organisers, politicians and activists were detained ahead of a protest seeking CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. Reports said over 1,500 people were detained in Delhi amid heavy security, mobile internet suspensions and restrictions at several Metro stations.

Delhi witnessed high political drama on Saturday after several leaders, activists, and some of the founding members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) were detained before they could reach Jantar Mantar for the satirical outfit's planned protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

The protest, called by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, seeks Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.

Quick answers to key questions

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QUESTIONS

Delhi Police detained the CJP founder and co-convenors after their flight from Mumbai landed at IGI Airport. They were on their way to the party’s planned protest at Jantar Mantar.

The reported detainees included YouTuber Dhruv Rathee and CJP legal cell head Ratna Singh. Several politicians and other protesters were also detained, according to the reports.

The CJP called for Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

Dipke criticised the police action and said he was prepared to be arrested. He also said the CJP had come to hold a peaceful protest.

Yes. The CJP said its nationwide agitation would continue despite the detention of Dipke and other leaders, and reiterated its demand for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.

Among those detained were CJP's prominent faces, including Dipke, co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee. According to a post on CJP's X account, "Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka have been taken to an undisclosed location."

Dipke, Das and Ranka were allegedly detained by Delhi Police after their flight from Mumbai landed at Delhi Airport. After being detained on the flight, Dipke criticised the police action in a video statement, adding that he was prepared to be arrested.

"This is not something even Indira Gandhi did during the Emergency; this is a worse situation than that, and we are all prepared for arrest," he said.

However, protesters and CJP founders are not the only people who have been detained across the national capital. Delhi Police have also cracked down on politicians, including MA Baby, Pinarayi Vijayan, MV Govindan Master, A Vijayaraghavan, KK Shailaja, John Brittas MP, KN Balagopal, Brinda Karat and PK Sreemathi. According to CPI(M), the party leaders were detained as soon as they arrived at Jantar Mantar.

List of prominent faces detained so far in Delhi and other cities:

1. Abhijeet Dipke

2. Saurav Das

3. Ashutosh Ranka

4. Ratna Singh

5. Dhruv Rathee

6. Pinarayi Vijayan

7. MA Baby

8. MV Govindan Master

9. A Vijayaraghavan

10. KK Shailaja

11. John Brittas

12. KN Balagopal

13. Brinda Karat

14. PK Sreemathi

15. Tushar Gandhi (great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, detained in Mumbai)

16. Manish Sisodia (AAP leader detained in Chandigarh)

Over 1,500 detained in the capital; Delhi under a security blanket

While the CJP convenor and co-convenors were detained as soon as they landed in the national capital, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee was detained at his family home in Gurugram's Sector 56 on Saturday after he reportedly declined requests from Gurugram and Delhi police teams not to travel to Jantar Mantar to take part in the protest.

According to reports, over 1,500 people have been detained so far, as Delhi has been put under a security blanket. Delhi Police planned a security deployment of about 35,000 police and paramilitary personnel, alongside checkpoints and barricades throughout the capital. Parts of central Delhi faced mobile internet suspensions, while access to and from several Metro stations was restricted.

Why is CJP protesting?

The protest against Kumar comes after a report in The Indian Express last month suggested an internal rift in the Election Commission. It found that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had repeatedly raised concerns within the three-member poll panel. Although all three commissioners oversaw the nationwide SIR exercise, Sandhu and Joshi recorded at least 14 formal objections over 10 months, including four on one day. They said decisions had been taken and orders issued without their knowledge.

About the Author

Swati Gandhi is a digital journalist with over four years of experience, specialising in international and geopolitical issues. Her work focuses on foreign policy, global power shifts, and the political and economic forces shaping international relations, with a particular emphasis on how global developments affect India. She approaches journalism with a strong belief in context-driven reporting, aiming to break down complex global events into clear, accessible narratives for a wide readership.<br><br> Previously, Swati has worked at Business Standard, where she covered a range of beats including national affairs, politics, and business. This diverse newsroom experience helped her build a strong grounding in reporting, while also strengthening her ability to work across both breaking news and in-depth explanatory stories. Covering multiple beats early in her career has helped her be informed about her current work, allowing her to connect domestic developments with wider international trends.<br><br> At Live Mint, she focuses on international and geopolitical issues through a business and economic lens, examining how global political developments, foreign policy decisions, and power shifts impact markets, industries, and India’s strategic and economic interests.<br><br> She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English (Honours) from the University of Delhi and a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Her academic training has shaped her emphasis on precision, analytical rigour, and clarity in writing. Her interests include global political economy and the intersection of geopolitics with business.<br><br> Outside work, Swati focuses on exploring her passion and love for food. From fancy cafes to street spots, Swati explores food like a true foodie.