Three Indian leaders Including Abhijit Dipke released on court order
Three released leaders, including CJP founder Abhijit Dipke. Collected photo.
A court has ordered the release of three leaders of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), including its founder Abhijit Dipke, who were detained after calling for a protest against India's Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The other two individuals released are Sourav Das and Ashutosh Ranka.
On Sunday morning, the court of the Executive Magistrate at Delhi Cantonment directed their release. They had been in detention since Saturday morning.
CJP, which began as a satirical online political initiative, had called upon young people to join a protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. The demonstration was organized to allege irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and protest against the Chief Election Commissioner.
On Saturday morning, upon their arrival in Delhi, Dipke, Sourav, and Ashutosh were detained by the police directly from inside their aircraft. They were subsequently placed under preventive detention.
Heavy security measures were deployed across Delhi in light of Saturday's demonstration. Over 3,000 protesters, including politicians, were detained, though most of them were released by Saturday night.
Police established a strict security cordon around Central Delhi to prevent demonstrators from reaching Jantar Mantar. Consequently, protesters gathered in smaller groups across various parts of the city to carry out their programs.
Among those released on Saturday night was YouTuber and activist Dhruv Rathee, who had also announced his intention to join the protest against the Chief Election Commissioner.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of India is scheduled to hold a special session on Sunday to hear a contempt plea regarding the extensive suspension of Delhi Metro services and train operations on Saturday.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana had issued directions on Friday stating that metro services should not be entirely shut down ahead of Saturday's protest.
Metro services resumed operation on Sunday morning, although a heavy security presence remains deployed at the entry and exit points of various stations, with buses stationed nearby to transport any detained individuals.
CJP leaders declared that their street protests will continue until there is accountability regarding their allegations of data manipulation and the exclusion of 130 million voters from the electoral rolls. They also alleged that an "undeclared emergency" has been imposed in Delhi to prevent people from gathering peacefully.
CJP was founded by Boston University graduate Abhijit Dipke. After returning to India, he led protests against the NEET exam paper leak, which ultimately led to the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The CJP currently enjoys support from various opposition parties across the country.
However, the ruling BJP has characterized CJP as part of an opposition-backed force attempting to destabilize the country. BJP President Nitin Nabin alleged that opposition groups are attempting to harm India under the direction of "foreign forces."
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh stated that "everyone has the right to express dissent in a democracy," but emphasized that "no one has the right to spread anarchy." He added that while Gen-Z might be temporarily "guided astray," they "cannot be diverted from the goal of nation-building."
(Source: NDTV)
