The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has released a video of its founder Abhijeet Dipke after being detained at Delhi airport ahead of a planned protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. In it, Dipke makes a pointed reference to the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, saying, “Even Indira Gandhi didn't do this.” He also says in Hindi: “Arrest hone ke liye hi aaya hu,” which means that he was in preparation for arrest.
Dipke, along with CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, was detained by Delhi police after arriving in the capital on Monday, October 10. They were going to take part in a demonstration in Jantar Mantar, which would have been held by the Election Commission to demand accountability for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Police personnel entered the aircraft after its arrival and detained the leaders before they could proceed to the planned protest venue. CJP subsequently posted footage of the incident and accused the authorities of trying to prevent its leadership from participating in the demonstration.
Abhijeet Dipke Invokes Indira Gandhi In Airport Video
The video shared by CJP has brought attention to the circumstances surrounding the leaders’ detention. Dipke can be heard questioning the police action and declaring his readiness to be arrested. His reference to Indira Gandhi was a criticism of what he saw as an excessive response to the planned demonstration.
The former prime minister's name is of considerable historical and political importance in India, especially considering the Emergency period 1975-1977 when civil liberties were curtailed and opposition leaders were detained. Dipke's comparison was a political jibe, not an independent assessment of the circumstances around the present incident.
The footage also indicates a dispute over how the detention was carried out. The CJP leaders, NDTV’s report said, wondered why police had entered the aircraft instead of waiting for passengers to disembark. And the video became central to the party’s criticism of the authorities’ handling of the planned protest.
CJP Demands Release Of Three Leaders
Following the incident, CJP condemned Dipke, Das and Ranka’s detention and called for their immediate and unconditional release. The party argued that the action was planned in advance to prevent its representatives from reaching Jantar Mantar.
CJP described the incident as an infringement of freedom of movement and said its leaders should have been allowed to reach the venue to participate in the demonstration. These allegations are the party’s view on the incident; the circumstances and legal basis of the detentions should be distinguished from the claims of the organisation.
All the same, reports also indicated that police had detained other people associated with the proposed protest, such as the CJP legal cell head Ratna Singh. NDTV reported that police had detained hundreds of suspected protesters from various parts of Delhi ahead of the demonstration.
Why Is CJP Protesting Against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar?
The demonstration will be about allegations of electoral roll revision and voter registration. CJP and other student organisations have called for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and voiced their opposition to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
SIR is a task that is done to verify and update voter lists. It has been a politically charged exercise and opposition groups have questioned whether eligible voters will be excluded and raised concerns about how the revisions are performed. CJP has also criticised changes and procedures related to Form 6 that is used to apply for inclusion in electoral rolls of eligible citizens.
The party’s protest is part of a larger push to hold the Election Commission accountable. Its demands are for a review of the electoral-roll revision process and changes to how voter registration issues are addressed.
Protesters’ claims are still controversial political ones and cannot, in themselves, be considered proof of voter manipulation. The main issue is that of the transparency of the revision process and the Election Commission’s role in maintaining electoral lists.
Delhi Police Denies Permission For Jantar Mantar Protest
The airport detentions were made after Delhi Police denied permission for the proposed October 10 gathering at Jantar Mantar. Joint Commissioner of Police Nupur Prasad said the application was submitted at short notice, according to a PTI report published by ThePrint. Police also cited alleged violations of conditions during a previous CJP demonstration as one of the reasons for refusing permission.
According to the police, the application was submitted on October 7, just three days before the proposed protest, and the rule stated that applications were to be filed at least 10 days in advance. They also cited prohibitory orders in the New Delhi district under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.
Security was tightened across parts of the capital ahead of the planned gathering. There were barricades put up in areas of the capital and additional police forces, extra police at the airport, surveillance measures, and restrictions to stop unauthorised assemblies were reported. The government said the arrangements were in place to protect public order, but CJP and other critics saw it as a bid to prevent the demonstration from taking place.
The denial of permission and the airport detentions have thus become intertwined issues in the dispute, with the party challenging the authorities' approach and police pointing to procedural and security considerations.
Political Tensions Grow Ahead Of The Demonstration
The incident comes as there is increasing dispute about the Election Commission and electoral-roll revision. CJP had already announced the October 10 protest in advance and called on supporters to travel to Delhi to demand Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.
🚨 ABHIJEET DIPKE, SAURAV DAS AND ASHUTOSH RANKA DETAINED FROM INSIDE THEIR FLIGHT 🚨 Shame on you @narendramodi @AmitShah https://t.co/hXl6bzh53i
— Cockroach Janta Party - CJP (@Cockroachisback) October 10, 2026
The airport video has provided the party with a prominent way to communicate its opposition, particularly through Dipke’s reference to Indira Gandhi. It has also raised the question of how authorities should balance restrictions on public gatherings with the right to peaceful protest.
The larger controversy concerns several different aspects: the legality and circumstances of the detentions, the reasons for denying permission to assemble, and the substantive allegations made about voter-list revision. Each needs to be examined on its own facts rather than treating the video as conclusive evidence of every claim made by either side.
For now, CJP has condemned the detention of its leaders and called for their release, while Delhi Police has cited procedural and security reasons for restricting the planned gathering. The video has added a new flashpoint to the ongoing dispute over SIR and the Election Commission, keeping the issue of protest rights and electoral transparency at the centre of the political debate.
Comments
Leave a Comment