CJP Leaders Released After Delhi Detention; Nationwide Protests to Continue Over SIR Voter Roll Row

Leaders of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were released from preventive detention on Sunday after being held by Delhi Police ahead of a planned protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. The leaders have vowed to continue their campaign against alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

CJP leaders released with one-year peace condition

The three leaders were detained on Saturday after their flight from Mumbai landed in New Delhi, where they were scheduled to participate in a demonstration at Jantar Mantar. They were subsequently produced before a Special Executive Magistrate and released after furnishing surety bonds of ₹50,000 each, according to reports citing Delhi Police and the party’s legal affairs head. The release condition requires them to maintain peace and good behaviour for one year.

The condition has raised questions about its implications for the leaders’ participation in future demonstrations. Dipke said after his release that the undertaking did not prevent the group from continuing its protests.

CJP vows to continue nationwide protests

Despite the detention of its senior leaders, the CJP has maintained that its campaign will continue, with demonstrations planned in Delhi and other parts of the country. The organisation is demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise.

The party has raised concerns about the removal of names from electoral rolls and has called for greater transparency and accountability in the revision process. It argues that eligible voters must not be excluded from electoral lists without adequate safeguards and opportunities for correction.

Delhi sees widespread detentions amid protest crackdown

The detention of the CJP leaders came amid a wider security operation in the national capital on Saturday. According to Reuters, Delhi Police said approximately 2,400 people were detained that day, with most released later. Restrictions on public transport and mobile internet were also imposed during the security measures, although metro services and internet access were restored afterward.

Fresh demonstrations took place in Delhi on Sunday, while smaller protests were also reported in cities including Mumbai, Kolkata, Panaji and Pune. Police detained additional protesters as authorities continued security operations around the demonstrations.

Election Commission denies allegations of manipulation

The controversy centres on the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, an exercise intended to verify voter registrations. Critics have alleged that the process has resulted in the exclusion of large numbers of eligible voters and have questioned its implementation.

The Election Commission has denied allegations of favouring any political party. Official data cited by Reuters indicates that approximately 130 million names were removed during the verification exercise, including entries relating to deceased individuals, people who had relocated and individuals who could not be traced. The Commission has said that voters whose names were wrongly deleted can re-enrol.

The BJP and the Election Commission have rejected claims of electoral manipulation, maintaining that the revision process addresses duplicate and ineligible entries.

Political tensions continue as CJP maintains its position

The release of the three CJP leaders has not brought an end to the dispute over the voter-list revision. The organisation continues to press for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and further scrutiny of the SIR process.

The developments have renewed attention on the balance between public-order measures and the right to peaceful assembly. The coming days will determine how the proposed demonstrations proceed and whether the concerns raised by the CJP lead to further official responses.