Jantar Mantar Protest : Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka Taken Into Custody

Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), were held by Delhi Police on Tuesday after entering Jantar Mantar with other party volunteers to protest. The event occurred a day after the Center withdrew the central Delhi location off the list of permitted protest places.

According to reports, the demonstrators climbed an iron fence and a police roadblock to gain access to the location. They carried flags and sang slogans such as “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Inquilab Zindabad” as police moved in to stop them.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke posted a video of the incident and later stated that the demonstrators had been detained. The demonstration questioned the decision to revoke Jantar Mantar’s status as a permitted protest place.

CJP Leaders Detained During Jantar Mantar Protest

Dipke tweeted a video of Ranka, Das, and many helpers crossing the fence to reach the protest spot. Police officers stationed nearby pursued the group and tried to stop them from entering the location.

According to Dipke, the protestors continued to raise slogans during the encounter before being apprehended and taken away by police.

The CJP founder responded to the Centre’s decision by arguing that eliminating the venue’s official designation would not put an end to public demonstrations. He stated that other spots across the country might become sites for protests.

Dipke also criticised the government’s decision, suggesting it demonstrated fear about demonstrations. He insisted that the protests would continue even though Jantar Mantar was no longer designated for that purpose.

The detention came after a series of demonstrations in the capital by CJP members and opposition groups. The INDIA bloc and the CJP have been demonstrating in central Delhi against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Delhi Police increased security around Jantar Mantar on October 10 and barred demonstrators from entering the area. The CJP had requested a demonstration at the site that day.

Dipke, Das, and Ranka were also detained when they landed in Delhi on a flight on October 10 morning. Thousands of protestors were detained on Saturday and Sunday as rallies and police action took place throughout the capital.

Cockroaches with the Tiranga sneaked into Jantar Mantar early this morning before they were picked up by Delhi Police.

@AshutoshRanka, @SauravDassss, @AjinkyaCJP along with other team members have been detained.

You cannot denotify the resistance, @narendramodi https://t.co/x7B40akCVO

— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) October 13, 2026

Jantar Mantar Protest Ban Shifts Demonstrations to New Sites

According to the Centre’s decision, Jantar Mantar, which is located in a high-security area of central Delhi, would no longer be used as a designated place for rallies and sit-ins.

Demonstrations in the national capital will take place at three different places. They are Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground, and CBD Ground in East Delhi.

A committee within the Union Home Ministry recommended the locations, which were then finalised. The modification moves authorised protests away from Jantar Mantar and toward newly designated locations.

Fortress Jantar Mantar has been breached https://t.co/hUlskpMhEc

— Ashutosh Ranka (@AshutoshRanka) October 13, 2026

Dipke responded to the ruling by stating that similar protest sites would sprout around the country. His comments came as CJP volunteers continued to contest the limits imposed on the former protest site.

The most recent detention emphasises the ongoing disagreement over access to Jantar Mantar, which was removed off the list of permitted protest places. While the authorities have picked three new locations, CJP leaders have stated that the shift will not cease their protests.