Delhi Police Detain CJP Leaders at Jantar Mantar After Removing Site from Designated Protest List

Delhi Police detained Cockroach Janata Party chief spokesperson Saurav Das and national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka on Tuesday morning after the two entered Jantar Mantar. Officers said the men jumped a gate to reach the site. The detentions followed the police decision to remove Jantar Mantar from the list of designated protest locations. Alternative venues now listed are Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground, and CBD Ground in East Delhi. The change followed recommendations from a committee set up by the Union Home Ministry.

The move comes during continuing protests by the Cockroach Janata Party and opposition parties against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Kerala Assembly passed a resolution seeking Kumar's removal. Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders have filed petitions in the Supreme Court challenging aspects of the revision process. The Supreme Court registry flagged 14 defects in one petition, including missing pages and a fee shortfall. The court has not listed the matter for hearing on October 13.

CJP leaders had announced plans to seek a protest date at Jantar Mantar and set a 24-hour deadline for a response. Police had earlier imposed restrictions and closed metro stations in anticipation of larger marches. On Monday, opposition leaders marched toward the Supreme Court. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant declined a request for a meeting with opposition leaders, citing sub-judice proceedings and the separation of powers.

The Cockroach Janata Party is a recently formed group that has positioned itself as an anti-establishment voice focused on election administration. Its leaders have claimed the detentions prove the government is blocking legitimate assembly. Delhi Police described the entry as unauthorized. No charges have been detailed in public statements as of Tuesday morning. The men were taken into custody at the site.

Jantar Mantar has served as the primary central location for demonstrations in the capital for decades. Its removal from the designated list reduces the number of high-visibility central sites available for protests. The three alternative grounds are larger but farther from the seats of government and the Supreme Court. Protest organizers have said the change makes it harder for smaller groups to maintain visibility.

The electoral revision process, known as SIR, has drawn criticism from opposition parties who allege large-scale deletions from voter rolls. The Election Commission has defended the exercise as a routine update to remove duplicates and deceased voters. Data from the Delhi CEO showed that more than 60 percent of 33 lakh cases linked to the revision had been disposed of as of early October. The commission extended deadlines in Maharashtra for claims and objections.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Bloomberg New Economy Forum on Tuesday and described India as the mother of democracy, citing its linguistic diversity and large number of registered publications. He did not directly address the protest restrictions. New governors were appointed to six states, including transfers involving Tamil Nadu and Kerala, in a separate administrative action by President Droupadi Murmu.

The sequence on Tuesday began with the attempted entry at Jantar Mantar, the detentions, and continued statements from CJP that it would escalate if access remains blocked. Opposition parties have not formally aligned with the CJP but have pursued parallel legal and legislative steps against the CEC. The Supreme Court has not issued any interim order on the protest sites or the petitions as of October 13.

For the capital's protest geography, the change formalizes a shift that police had already enforced through permissions and physical barriers. Whether alternative grounds will host the volume of activity previously seen at Jantar Mantar will depend on organizer decisions and police permissions in the coming days. The detentions add a specific incident to the broader dispute over how the election commission's revision is being implemented and contested.