New Delhi, 13 October (H.S.): A day after Jantar Mantar was removed from the list of designated protest sites, workers of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) returned to the venue on Wednesday morning, allegedly evading police security. Led by CJP national spokespersons Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, the protesters climbed over iron gates and barricades to enter the protest site and raised slogans.

Police attempted to stop the demonstrators, triggering a tense situation at the spot. The protesters were subsequently taken into custody, following which security arrangements in the area were further tightened.

The leaders took this step after being granted bail by the Special Executive Magistrate's Court in Delhi on the condition that they maintain peace and good behaviour for one year. They were also required to furnish a surety bond of Rs 50,000.

CJP chief Abhijeet Dipke shared video footage of the incident on X. The footage purportedly showed people climbing over a gate and running with flags amid security arrangements, followed by Delhi Police personnel taking them away. The protesters were heard raising slogans such as “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Inquilab Zindabad”.

Ashutosh Ranka also shared a photograph of himself holding the national flag. In his post, he wrote, “We are not trying to reach Jantar Mantar; we have already reached it.”

Saurav Das posted a video on X, claiming that Jantar Mantar had been “reclaimed”. He asserted that party workers had reached the site and were being taken into custody. In a message directed at young people, Das said they, too, could take similar action. He also targeted Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in his post.

On October 12, Delhi Police issued a notification announcing that Jantar Mantar would no longer be designated as an authorised protest venue. Following recommendations from a committee of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, three alternative locations were identified for demonstrations in the national capital: Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in East Delhi.

Located in a high-security area of central Delhi, Jantar Mantar has served as a prominent centre for protests and public demonstrations for decades. In recent days, the Opposition INDIA bloc and the CJP had staged protests there over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, targeting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The decision to remove Jantar Mantar from the list of designated protest sites came amid these demonstrations. The latest incident has once again drawn attention to the restrictions on protests at the venue and the arrangements made by the authorities for demonstrations at alternative locations.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar