New Delhi, Oct 2026 : The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Sunday accused the government of being apprehensive about protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that the handling of the demonstrations had transformed the agitation into a confrontation with the Centre.
Addressing a press conference hours after his release from preventive detention, CJP co-convener Ashutosh Ranka alleged that the country had witnessed what he described as an extreme display of authoritarianism over the past 72 hours.
He claimed that thousands of peaceful protesters, who intended to demonstrate at a designated protest site in Delhi, had been detained from different parts of the country.
Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Ranka alleged that the authorities had taken excessive measures to prevent the demonstration. He described the detention of CJP leaders at the airport on Saturday as an act of “kidnapping”.
Comparing the security arrangements and police action with the Emergency imposed in 1975, Ranka said the events of the past three days had reminded people of accounts of that period passed down by previous generations.
“One thing has become clear: the fight that was against the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has been turned by PM Modi and Amit Shah into a fight against themselves,” he claimed.
Ranka also questioned the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging that the constitutional body, which is responsible for safeguarding the country’s electoral process, was acting at the behest of the Prime Minister and Home Minister to help the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) win elections.
The allegations were made in the context of the CJP’s proposed demonstration over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Ranka also raised concerns over the treatment of CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke following the death of his grandmother on Saturday. He alleged that the Delhi Police had handled the situation insensitively and had attempted to turn a personal tragedy into a public spectacle by bringing cameras and microphones.
According to Ranka, Dipke had repeatedly requested permission to speak to his cousin, as his parents have heart conditions and could become anxious, but the police did not accede to his request. The police had earlier denied allegations that Dipke was not informed about his grandmother’s death during detention, stating that the information was conveyed promptly and assistance was offered to facilitate his travel home.
Shortly before the press conference, Dipke announced that he was returning to his hometown in Maharashtra to attend his grandmother’s last rites. He also declared that the CJP would not retreat from its campaign.
Expressing condolences, Ranka said Dipke would not turn his personal loss into a spectacle and that the party stood by him during the period of grief.
The CJP also thanked opposition leaders who participated in Saturday’s demonstrations. Ranka specifically acknowledged former chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, Manik Sarkar and Pinarayi Vijayan for joining students and young protesters.
He further alleged that members of left-wing student organisations, including the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the All India Students’ Association (AISA), had been detained harshly.
The CJP maintained that its campaign against the alleged electoral irregularities would continue despite the detentions and the subsequent release of its leaders.
