Cockroach Janta Party gives ‘24-hour ultimatum’ to police to set new protest date amid anti-CEC stirs in Delhi

Co-convenors Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das entered the Parliament Street police station to press for a date while the CJP team arrived at 11.30am.

Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) leaders on Monday gave the Delhi Police 24 hours to provide a date for holding a protest, warning that the party would announce its next course of action if no response came within the deadline.

Cockroach Janta Party leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das address the media at the Press Club of India, in New Delhi on Sunday. (Naveen Sharma)

Co-convenors Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das entered the Parliament Street police station to press for a date while the CJP team arrived at 11.30am to submit a memorandum.

Das said New Delhi DCP Sachin Sharma did not meet them.

“The ball is now in Delhi Police’s court...we have given them 24-hour ultimatum to give us a date and time when protest can be held at designated protest site. They are waging a war against the citizens who are simply demanding their voting rights. There are protests now happening all across India. Why can’t they call youth of this country for talks,” Das said, after leaving the police station at around 12.30pm.

Why the 24-hour ultimatum?

The development came amid heightened tensions in Delhi over protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The Delhi Police had denied permission for CJP’s proposed October 10 protest at Jantar Mantar, citing the short notice given by the organisers, alleged violations during previous demonstrations and concerns over public safety, traffic and law and order.

Ranka said that DCP Sachin Sharma who would call them a dozen times to meet during the previous Jantar Mantar protest simply left and refused to meet them. “Additional DCP also left...there are no senior officials to meet us.. suddenly the whole Parliament Street police station seems to have been vacated,” he added.

Around half an hour after the visit, the Delhi Police released the order of denotifying Jantar Mantar as a site of protest.

Reacting to the development, Das had posted on X: “The Jantar Mantar belongs to the people of India. Did the Ministry of Home Affairs consult with the people of India? Were any stakeholders consulted? Were any organisations consulted? The Prime Minister will soon denotify democracy in India. It is an assault on people’s fundamental right to protest and peaceful assembly. Now whole country is becoming Jantar Mantar.”