Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Wednesday questioned the five-day judicial custody awarded to party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, challenging the authorities over their action against the activists.
Dipke criticised the government after Das and Ranka were sent to Tihar Jail for five days following their alleged entry into Jantar Mantar, which has been denotified as a designated protest site.
Questioning the action, Dipke raised concerns over the treatment of the party leaders and accused the authorities of curbing dissent. He also challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to formally declare an Emergency, according to media reports.
The two CJP leaders were taken into judicial custody after allegedly crossing barricades and reaching Jantar Mantar on Tuesday, where they raised slogans and waved the national flag. Police had made security arrangements amid apprehensions of a protest at the site.
According to the magistrate’s order, Das and Ranka had earlier furnished bonds undertaking to maintain peace and good behaviour for one year. Authorities alleged that they violated the conditions by issuing fresh protest calls and attempting to mobilise people at the denotified site.
The magistrate remanded the two leaders to judicial custody for five days, with the matter scheduled for further proceedings on October 19. Another party leader, Ajinkya Shinde, was directed to maintain peace and good behaviour for six months and was released on bond.
The latest development follows a series of detentions involving CJP leaders in Delhi. Dipke, Das and Ranka were detained at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on October 10 after arriving from Mumbai ahead of a planned protest. They were subsequently released by an executive magistrate after furnishing surety bonds.
The party had called for demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged discrepancies in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The proposed protest also opposed the denotification of Jantar Mantar as a designated demonstration site.
