New Delhi: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka arrive at the Parliament Street Police Station regarding permission and security clearance for party demonstrations, in New Delhi, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (PTI Photo)
A day after being released following 24-hour detention, CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka wrote to Delhi Police seeking a date to hold peaceful protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls.
Demanding de-escalation of heavy police deployment, halt “illegal detentions” and “harassment of journalists”, the CJP reiterated that they would announce a new date for mass protest by themselves, upon the failure from the police side.
The outfit also mentioned that the Centre’s refusal to allocate an official, secure space for peaceful assembly, that is Jantar Mantar, has caused a lot of distress and discontentment among the people of our country. The CJP remarked that civic life has come to a standstill with deployment of over 55,000 police and paramilitary personnel and called it a structured disorder.
Stressing upon the right to protest, the leaders slammed the BJP saying, “The blame squarely lies with the Government of India and Delhi Police for any untoward incident. The current instability in the capital was created by your administrative non-cooperation, and the solution lies squarely within your authority.”
Here’s the letter addressed to Deputy Commissioner of Police, Parliament Street Police station:
“Over the past three days, the National Capital has experienced severe disruption and widespread public distress due to unprecedented, heavy-handed security deployments by the Government of India. With over 55,000 police and paramilitary personnel deployed across the city, routine civic life has come to a virtual standstill. Passersby, peaceful citizens, and members of the press have reported arbitrary & illegal detentions, physical aggression, violence, and prolonged custody stretching late into the night. Furthermore, local businesses and commercial establishments have been forced to close for consecutive days, causing severe financial hardship to ordinary citizens and disrupting the basic movement of the public.
This structured disorder caused by the heavy presence of police on road, road closures and blockades. Also the adamancy of administration’s and refusal to allocate an official, secure space for peaceful assembly i.e. Jantar Mantar, a historical designated protest site, has caused a lot of distress and discontentment among the people of our country.
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Protesting peacefully is a constitutionally guaranteed right, and denying citizens the location where their safety and assembly can be assured has unnecessarily forced chaos and tension created by heavy-handed policing on your side and your open and blatant support to right-wing extremist goons affiliated with the ruling BJP. The blame squarely lies with the Government of India and Delhi Police for any untoward incident. The current instability in the capital was created by your administrative non-cooperation, and the solution lies squarely within your authority.
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Therefore, we demand that the police administration immediately de-escalate the heavy-handed law enforcement presence, cease arbitrary and illegal detentions, stop harassing independent journalists, and provide us Jantar Mantar as a site for our peaceful protest. Given the constant allegation from the government and Police’s side about not informing them of the protest well in advance, i.e. before at least 10 days, we hereby give you the option to provide us the designated protest site Jantar Mantar on a date of your choosing.
However, we demand you respond to this letter within 24 hours from time of receipt, failing which, protesters will have no choice but to continue the protest in a peaceful manner. The Cockroach Janta Party will also announce a new date for mass protest if you fail to respond and allocate us the designated protest site Jantar Mantar.
Fundamental right to protest and assemble peacefully is constitutionally enshrined and the same ought to be upheld by authorities. Citizens, including students, Gen-Z, and the young generation cannot be stopped from peacefully protesting.”