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CJP protests

The Cockroach Janta Party's street campaign for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation, and how police and courts responded.

AI illustration
The question

Are Delhi's curbs on the anti-CEC protests lawful crowd control, or an unjustified limit on the right to protest?

7,000+people detained in Delhi on 10 October, per officials quoted by PTIThe Times of India
45Delhi Metro stations closed to passengers on 10 OctoberNDTV
5 daysjudicial custody for CJP's Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka after entering Jantar MantarHindustan Times
46petitions on the protests taken up by the Supreme Court on 15 OctoberThe Indian Express
1 NovemberINDIA bloc rally planned at Ramlila Maidan; Bengaluru protest set for 5 NovemberThe New Indian Express · Deccan Herald
Context

How we got here

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) began online on 16 May 2026, after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant made a courtroom remark likening some jobless young people to 'cockroaches'. He later said he meant people with fake degrees. Founder Abhijeet Dipke, then 30, launched a satirical 'party' that drew millions of online followers. Its June-July protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar over the NEET exam paper leak preceded Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation on 25 July. In September, The Indian Express reported that two Election Commissioners had objected on record at least 14 times to decisions linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), a fresh door-to-door check of voter lists. The Election Commission said its decisions were unanimous. On 24 September the CJP demanded that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar resign. Opposition parties in the INDIA bloc run a parallel campaign with the same demand. The BJP calls both campaigns attempts to create anarchy.

In their own words

Where each side stands

CJP and student groups

The CJP demands Kumar's resignation, an independent probe into SIR decisions, a halt to SIR exclusions and repeal of the 2023 law on appointing election commissioners. It says its protests are peaceful and called the airport detentions of its leaders a 'blatant violation of freedom of movement'.

The Indian Express · The Hindu
Delhi Police and the Centre

Delhi Police denied permission for the 10 October protest, citing security, an application filed on 7 October against a prescribed 10-day notice, and violations during earlier protests. It imposed prohibitory orders and made preventive detentions. In court, the Solicitor General said Metro entry was restricted at only 45 of 303 stations. Police later moved protests to three designated grounds away from Jantar Mantar.

The Indian Express · The Hans India · Hindustan Times
BJP

BJP president Nitin Nabin called the INDIA bloc and the CJP 'anarchist' groups trying to destabilise India and alleged they acted 'at the behest of foreign powers'. Spokesperson Sambit Patra called the 10 October protest a 'flop show' and said democracy had triumphed over mob rule.

The Hindu
Opposition parties

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused PM Narendra Modi and others of 'cowardice' and told police to 'arrest us all'. Mamata Banerjee (TMC) called Dipke's 16 October detention 'an undeclared Emergency', and DMK chief MK Stalin demanded the release of Dipke and AISA's Neha Bora.

ThePrint · The Indian Express
8 moments

The timeline

  1. Police detain CJP's Abhijeet Dipke and AISA's Neha Bora before 'Lehra Do Tiranga' march in Connaught Place

    Earlier that day, CJI Surya Kant's bench declined to urgently hear traders' plea against the park closure, hoping 'better sense will prevail'.

  2. Supreme Court seeks Centre's reply on Delhi prohibitory orders and Jantar Mantar's removal as protest site

    The court also issued notice on a contempt plea against Rahul Gandhi over the INDIA bloc's 12 October march into the court precincts.

  3. CJP's Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka sent to five-day custody after entering denotified Jantar Mantar

    The FIR cites disobedience of a public servant's order, house-trespass and criminal conspiracy under the BNS, India's new penal code.

  4. Supreme Court holds Sunday sitting, orders no illegal detentions of peaceful protesters

    The bench told authorities to lift Section 163 BNSS restrictions around the Supreme Court so access to justice was not affected.

  5. Delhi Police detain over 7,000 as CJP's Jantar Mantar protest against the CEC is blocked

    Police had denied permission and imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS, the criminal procedure law, across New Delhi district.

  6. Supreme Court says Delhi cannot completely halt Metro and trains ahead of CJP protest

    Authorities had cited the risk of 'unruly mob movements towards sensitive locations' for the closures.

  7. CJP holds Mumbai rally, announces 10 October protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar

    Hindustan Times reported actor Shabana Azmi and musician Vishal Dadlani among the crowd at Shivaji Park.

  8. CJP demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar resign within 48 hours, warns of 'Jantar Mantar 2.0'

    The CJP launched an 'Election Commission Thik Karo' (Fix the Election Commission) campaign with a 48-hour deadline for the CEC.

Honest gaps

What we still don't know

  • ?Whether the Supreme Court will find the 10 October restrictions and detentions disproportionate once the Centre files its replies.
  • ?How many people were detained in total: figures reported for 10 October range from about 3,500 to over 7,000 depending on source and time.
  • ?Whether police will grant permission for protests at the three newly designated grounds.
  • ?Whether the CJP and the INDIA bloc will protest jointly at the 1 November Ramlila Maidan rally.
Who reported this

Sources

Left-leaning · 4Centre · 5Right-leaning · 1International · 1

11 outlets across the spectrum. Leanings are a rough guide to who reported it, not a verdict on accuracy.

  1. BBCThe student behind 'cockroach' protests that forced an Indian minister to quit
  2. The Indian ExpressThe 'cockroaches' are back: Why CJP is taking on the Election Commission
  3. The HinduDelhi protest: CJP's Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka, Ratna Singh detained
  4. The Times of IndiaDelhi protests: Over 7,000 detained as CJP stir against CEC triggers political face-off - top developments
  5. The Indian ExpressCJP Protest Live Updates: CJP, AAP, Trinamool, Left take on Delhi's iron-fist lockdown
  6. NDTVKey Takeaways From Supreme Court's Observations On Delhi Curbs During CJP Protest
Show all 15 sources
  1. The Hans IndiaNo illegal detentions: Supreme Court
  2. Hindustan TimesCJP's Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka sent to 5-day judicial custody for Jantar Mantar 'trespassing'
  3. The Indian ExpressSupreme Court notice to Centre on dropping Jantar Mantar as protest site
  4. The Indian ExpressOver 100 detained after protests against CEC, Opp demands release of Abhijeet Dipke, Neha Bora
  5. The New Indian Express'Resistance' to continue, says Rahul Gandhi as INDIA bloc plans mega anti-CEC rally on Nov 1
  6. Deccan HeraldI.N.D.I.A. bloc in Karnataka to join SIR protest in Delhi on November 1
  7. The HinduBJP accuses INDIA bloc, CJP of trying to destabilise nation at behest of foreign powers
  8. ThePrintDelhi protest crackdown: Rahul backs young protesters, accuses Modi & RSS of 'cowardice'-'arrest us all'
  9. OpIndiaDelhi Police detains AAP supporter Dhruv Rathee and CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das ahead of unauthorised protest at Jantar Mantar
CJP protests | Spasht