Judicial custody for two, a warning for the movement
New Delhi: The confrontation between the government and the protesters demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation sharpened on Wednesday morning, hours after two leaders of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) were sent to five days of judicial custody in the Jantar Mantar trespassing case.
Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were produced before an executive magistrate after being placed under preventive arrest on Tuesday, and will now be lodged in Tihar Jail. A third leader, Ajinkya Shinde, who was detained alongside them, was released on a personal bond. An FIR has been registered against the group on charges including breach of bond, criminal trespass and disobedience of orders, officials said.
The detentions came after the leaders walked toward Jantar Mantar on Tuesday morning despite heavy barricading, in defiance of the government’s decision to de-notify the iconic site as a designated protest location. Police said the group entered the area without authorisation.
Jantar Mantar de-notified on Monday
The flashpoint for this week’s escalation was the October 12 decision to de-notify Jantar Mantar as an official protest site. The CJP and opposition parties have read the move as an attempt to push dissent away from the political centre of the national capital, arguing that shifting demonstrations to the outskirts weakens the visibility of public protest.
The government has designated three new protest sites in Delhi, but there is already a crunch. Ramlila Maidan, one of the new locations, reportedly has no free dates for the next two and a half months, with only the last three days of December open for booking, according to officials.
AAP calls October 15 protest
Even as the custody news landed, the Aam Aadmi Party announced it would take its agitation back to the streets on October 15. Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj said party MLAs, councillors and office-bearers from every level of the organisation would join a protest in the capital against alleged “vote chori” and demanding the CEC’s resignation.
Speaking after a meeting of party office-bearers at the AAP headquarters on Tuesday, Bharadwaj said the agitation would continue through non-violent means until Gyanesh Kumar resigns. He demanded that the government grant permission for the protest at Ramlila Maidan if Jantar Mantar is off limits, saying the party is ready to demonstrate peacefully at the alternate site as well.
Bharadwaj also hit back at the de-notification of Jantar Mantar, saying the decision exposed the government’s nervousness over the growing agitation, since protesters, students and young women keep reaching the site despite the heavy security presence.
The ‘vote chori’ charge and the SIR row
At the heart of the protests are two related opposition demands: the suspension of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and the removal of Gyanesh Kumar as Chief Election Commissioner. Opposition parties allege irregularities in voter lists that they describe as “vote chori”, a charge the government and the Election Commission have rejected.
The movement drew fresh energy on Tuesday when Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi hosted opposition leaders, civil society members and student representatives for tea at his residence. Gandhi said there were no parallel protests but “only one movement” to restore democracy, framing the anti-SIR agitation, the CEC row and the student protests as a single political resistance.
Government pushes back
The government’s response has been combative. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday attacked the Congress’s protest strategy, saying public trust cannot be won through what he called fabricated media events and staged crowds, and predicted the Congress would suffer its fourth consecutive defeat in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections while the NDA returns with a bigger majority.
The NSUI also staged a dharna outside the Connaught Place police station on Tuesday, alleging that Delhi Police personnel assaulted women members during a flash protest against the CEC. Meanwhile, BJP women MPs met President Droupadi Murmu seeking the suspension of a Congress MP over separate JNU misconduct allegations.
What to watch next
- October 15 protest: whether Delhi Police grants AAP a venue and how the demonstration unfolds will set the tone for the coming days.
- Supreme Court: petitions linked to the Delhi protests are expected to come up for hearing, which could shape the legal boundary of the agitation.
- Custody aftermath: the CJP has said the five-day custody will not deter its activists, keeping the street pressure alive.
- Venue crunch: with Ramlila Maidan booked out for months, the tussle over where Delhi’s protests can legally happen is far from over.
For now, both sides are digging in. The opposition says its resistance will continue and ultimately triumph; the government says the crowds prove nothing. The capital’s streets, and its courts, will decide the next round.
FAQs
Q. Why were Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka sent to judicial custody?
A. They were placed under preventive arrest on Tuesday for allegedly entering the de-notified Jantar Mantar protest area without authorisation, and were produced before a magistrate on Wednesday, October 14, who sent them to five days of judicial custody.
Q. When is the AAP protest against the CEC?
A. The Aam Aadmi Party has announced a protest in Delhi on October 15, demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged “vote chori”.
Q. Why is Jantar Mantar no longer a protest site?
A. The government de-notified Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site on October 12, 2026, designating three alternate locations. Protesters say the move is meant to dilute the visibility of dissent.
Q. What is the SIR controversy about?
A. Opposition parties allege irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and demand its suspension along with the CEC’s removal. The government and the Election Commission reject the charges.
