Video: How CJP's Jantar Mantar Protest Fizzled Out Amid Heavy Police Crackdown

When the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) staged its massive movement in Delhi previously, it had led to the resignation of the then Education Minister Dharmendra प्रधान. Both the government and CJP leaders remembered this well. CJP intended to replicate that success on October 10, but the administration was determined to thwart it at any cost, as evidenced by strict security arrangements and heavy police deployment across the capital.

Crackdown on Leadership and Blocked Sites

On one side were CJP activists alongside youth and student groups, and on the other stood a massive deployment of Delhi Police and paramilitary forces. CJP had called for a protest at Jantar Mantar against the Chief Election Commissioner. However, as soon as they landed in Delhi, top CJP leaders Abhijit Dipke, Saurav Das, and Ashutosh Ranka were detained, effectively blunting the momentum of the protest right at the outset.

Throughout Saturday, a cat-and-mouse game played out across New Delhi as police successfully foiled every attempt by supporters to gather at Jantar Mantar. Although alternative leaders like Ajinky Shinde tried to rally the crowd under a backup plan, authorities did not allow any gathering to materialize. By Sunday, the streets wore a deserted look with security personnel outnumbering the demonstrators.

Why This Protest Lacked the Spark of July

Unlike the July paper leak protests which resonated deeply with the common public and families—bolstered by nationwide support and hunger strikes—the latest agitation centered around political narratives like alleged vote tampering and electoral list discrepancies. Since major opposition parties were already campaigning on similar lines, CJP failed to generate the organic, widespread public backing it enjoyed previously.