As Delhi braces for the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)’s October 10 protest at Jantar Mantar, Ashutosh Ranka has issued a pointed appeal to police personnel, warning them not to use force against young demonstrators. Citing history, conscience and non-violence, Ranka questioned how officers wanted their actions to be remembered and said there was a sense of tension between the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Ranka said police forces throughout the country should think about detained young protesters and reported use of force. Police have to consider how their actions affect those involved in the movement, he said.
In a post on X, Ranka said police personnel were acting on orders from senior authorities but questioned if that justified raising their hands against young demonstrators or taking them away at night. He also asked officers to consider whether they would treat protesters in the same way if they were their own children.
Ranka Invokes History And Police Responsibility
To make the comparison with British colonial times, Ranka cited policemen who fired on fellow Indians as merely following orders. History had not necessarily viewed such actions favourably and today's officers should consider how their behavior might be judged in the future.
As for the July 20 incident Ranka held Delhi Police responsible and asked if its personnel wanted to be remembered in a similar way. His remarks formed the central part of an appeal to discourage the use of force against demonstrators before the planned mobilisation.
Ranka concluded his message by recalling both the two historical figures— General Reginald Dyer (Jallianwala Bagh massacre) and Mangal Pandey (1857 revolt against British rule). He told the police to consider which legacy they wanted to be associated with.
This comes at a time when the CJP has been pushing the SIR exercise. The organisation has questioned the revision process and has raised concerns of voter deletions and has asked election authorities to give a response.
देशभर की पुलिस के नाम एक संदेश। हमें पता है कि इस समय जो भी आपसे करवाया जा रहा है, वो ऊपर के निर्देश से हो रहा है। लेकिन आप अपने बच्चों पर ऐसे कैसे हाथ उठा रहे है? आप उनको रात के अंधेरे में ऐसे गुंडों की तरह कैसे लेकर जा रहे है? क्या आपका मन इस बात की गवाही दे रहा है? क्या यह सब करने से आपके ज़मीर को ठेस नहीं पहुँच रही? क्या अगर आपके बच्चे होते, तो भी आप उनसे ऐसे ही बर्ताव करते? ब्रिटिश राज में भी कुछ पुलिसकर्मी ऐसे थे जिन्होंने अपने ही देशवासियों के ख़िलाफ़ गोलियाँ चलायी थी, यह कहकर कि वो ड्यूटी कर रहे है। लेकिन याद रखिए, आज देश उन पुलिसवालों को गद्दार ही मानता है। दिल्ली पुलिस के हाथों पर तो 20 July का खून है। क्या आप भी वही चाहते है? आपको पता है कि हम सब पढ़ने लिखने वाले बच्चे है। हक की लड़ाई लड़ रहे है। अधिकारों की लड़ाई लड़ रहे है। आपको यह भी पता है कि हम गांधी और अंबेडकर में मानने वाले लोग है। अहिंसा और संविधान के रास्ते पर चलने वाले लोग है। हम ना हाथ उठायेंगे, ना मारपीट करेंगे। लेकिन आपको यह भी पता होना चाहिए कि आप कुछ भी कर ले, हम हर हाल में कल जंतर मंतर पहुचेंगे। और देश को बचाने की ऐतिहासिक लड़ाई लड़ेंगे। फ़ैसला आपको करना है, कि आप इतिहास में किस तरह याद किया जाना पसंद करेंगे - जनरल डायर की तरह, या शहीद मंगल पांडे की तरह?
— Ashutosh Ranka (@AshutoshRanka) October 9, 2026
We Will Reach Jantar Mantar Tomorrow
The protesters were students seeking justice and defending their rights, Ranka said. He said their movement was guided by Mahatma Gandhi, B R Ambedkar and the Indian Constitution, and non-violence was at the core of their approach.
He said that the demonstrators would not raise their hands or resort to violence in spite of detentions and restrictions on demonstrators before the protest. Ranka also made clear that the planned mobilisation would go ahead, saying participants intended to reach Jantar Mantar on October 10.
His words sought to stress the group’s commitment to peaceful protest and call into question the security precautions being put in place in the capital. Nevertheless, the arrangements for the gathering remained under police control and demonstrations were not allowed at the location of the meeting.
CJP Campaigns Against SIR And Election Authorities.
The October 10 mobilisation is described by the organisation as “Jantar Mantar Season 2” and forms part of the wider campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and SIR exercise.
Abhijeet Dipke, the CJP founder, is calling for the scrapping of SIR and accountability for alleged deletions from electoral rolls. Dipke called on political parties, civil society organisations and social activists to come together to defend voting rights. Jantar Mantar should still be a place where citizens can raise public concerns, he said.
CJP spokesperson Sourav Das said party members and youth involved in the campaign were detained in several states including Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Delhi. Das said the movement would continue even if some participants were arrested or detained.
These claims represent the organisation’s position on the campaign and treatment of its members. Unlawful detention or excessive force would need to be examined against the evidence and official responses.
Delhi Police Tightens Security ahead of October 10.
Delhi Police are beefing up security preparations ahead of the planned protest. More than 20,000 police and paramilitary personnel had been deployed across the national capital to manage the law-and-order situation, a senior officer said.
The officer said permission was not given for a demonstration at Jantar Mantar and urged people not to hold unauthorised rallies. Prohibitory orders were also in place in the area as police went out to say people should not have any rallies and warned that legal action would be taken if anyone attacked those working on security activities.
The security measures and the CJP’s determination to proceed with its mobilisation have crystallized the planned demonstration. The core issues are the right to peaceful assembly, concerns over electoral roll revision and the responsibilities of authorities who must keep the public order.
The police in charge of the action and the history of decisions made in the past are at the center of Ranka’s argument. The planned gathering will depend in part on how the restrictions and security arrangements are put in place.
Comments