Guwahati: Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained at Delhi airport as they arrived ahead of a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The party has called for Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Delhi Police refused permission for the planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar, citing public interest and the lack of required approval.
Dipke has alleged that around 13 crore voters have been removed from electoral rolls since 2024. He has questioned whether the alleged deletions affected the 2024 Lok Sabha election results, pointing to the narrow vote-share gap between the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Opposition INDIA bloc.
The Election Commission has rejected the allegations, maintaining that the full commission took unanimous decisions on the SIR and other major matters.
Delhi Police made extensive security arrangements ahead of Saturday’s planned protest. More than 15,000 police personnel were deployed to manage the expected turnout, while around 26,000 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) personnel were expected to be in the city.
Barricades and spike strips were placed at several locations.
Loudspeakers at three major entry and exit points broadcast warnings in Hindi and English against gatherings, processions, road blockades and other activities prohibited under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).