Protest at a designated protest spot is not disturbing the peace, says Ashutosh Ranka

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) co-conveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, along with legal head Ratna Singh during a press conference on October 11, 2026 | Photo Credit: PTI The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Sunday (October 11, 2026) vowed to intensify its agitation against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, even as around 200 people were detained. Protests were held at several places in the New Delhi area, which remained under a security chokehold.The Supreme Court on Sunday (October 11, 2026) directed that people gathering peacefully should not be illegally detained, and asked the authorities to ensure the Delhi Metro functioned normally and that there was no disruption of Internet services, subject to the maintenance of law and order.Keep track | Anti-CEC protest LIVE: CJI Surya Kant declines to meet INDIA Bloc leaders on October 12; Delhi Police detain women protesters after 6 p.m.In a special sitting, a Bench of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana also issued notice to the Centre while hearing a plea seeking contempt proceedings for the alleged violation of the court's direction to ensure there was no "complete prohibition" on metro and train services in Delhi due to the protest.Earlier in the day, CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were released on the condition that they would not "breach the peace" for a year.At a press conference, Mr. Das alleged that the government had turned the state against its own citizens, and said the authorities could have invited a delegation for talks instead of restricting protesters seeking to demonstrate at a designated site.Delhi Police officials had taken away their phones during their detention without issuing any seizure memo, Mr. Das claimed, raising concerns that the devices might have been hacked or cloned."We suspect that, as alleged in similar cases involving activists in the past, phones could have been hacked or cloned to plant documents or other material that might later be used as evidence against us," he told media persons.The CJP's agitation was continuing, he said, adding that protests would take place not just in Delhi but across the country."The protests are on... Protests will happen not just in Delhi but the whole country," Mr. Das said."This protest will not stop till Gyanesh [Kumar, Chief Election Commissioner] resigns," CJP co-convener Ashutosh Ranka said.Referring to the condition imposed on their release, Mr. Das said they had been told there should be no breach of peace for one year."The breach of peace has been caused by Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Gyanesh Kumar," Mr. Das said.Protest at a designated protest spot is not disturbing the peace, Mr. Ranka said.Delhi Police has registered 20 FIRs in connection with Saturday's CJP protest against the CEC over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, officials said on Sunday.Early this morning, Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, who were put under preventive arrest following their detention at the Delhi airport a day earlier, were released after being produced before an executive magistrate.In a statement, the CJP called the release of the three leaders a "major legal victory".The CJP said the "arbitrary detentions" had sparked severe criticism and legal challenges amid an intense security clampdown across the capital over protests against the CEC."Finally Delhi Police is forced to release Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das. Cockroaches never die," it posted on X. Published - October 11, 2026 11:11 pm IST