CJP to Restrategise After Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka’s Release

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has said the organisation will regroup and decide its next course of action after party members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka are released from custody. The statement comes amid protests in Delhi against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Dipke, who was granted conditional bail on Saturday after being detained and arrested during the protest-related developments, said the organisation would collectively assess recent events before deciding how to proceed. Das and Ranka, both CJP spokespersons, remained in custody at the time of the statement.

The developments have brought renewed attention to the demonstrations, police action against CJP members and the wider political dispute over the electoral roll revision exercise.

Abhijeet Dipke Says CJP Will Regroup After Members’ Release

Speaking about the organisation’s next steps, Dipke said CJP members would gather after Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka returned and discuss how to continue their campaign.

According to news agency ANI, Dipke said, “Once Saurav and Ashu come, we will gather, restrategise, and determine how to move forward. Given what we have witnessed over the past few days, including the illegal arrests and detentions, it is clear that there is an attempt to intimidate us.”

He also said the organisation would not be discouraged by the recent developments and described the campaign as a long battle.

“However, we will neither be intimidated nor back down. This is a long battle, and we are fully prepared for it. Hopefully, both of them will be released today,” Dipke said.

His remarks indicate that CJP intends to decide its next steps collectively rather than announce a detailed plan before the two spokespersons return. The organisation’s future course of action will depend on the discussions that follow their release.

Abhijeet Dipke Granted Conditional Bail

Dipke received conditional bail on Saturday, a day after he was detained and subsequently arrested while travelling towards Connaught Place in Delhi.

The CJP founder had called for a ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march scheduled for Friday, October 16, at 5 pm. Hours before the planned march, Delhi Police served him a notice asking him not to participate in the event.

Despite the notice, Dipke left for Connaught Place on Friday evening and was detained shortly afterwards. His detention and subsequent arrest became part of the wider dispute surrounding the protests and police action against CJP members.

The court granted him conditional bail on Saturday. The specific conditions attached to his release are important to understanding the restrictions he must follow while the matter proceeds.

Dipke’s release did not immediately resolve the situation for the organisation, as spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka continued to remain in custody.

Why Were Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka Taken Into Custody?

CJP spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka remained in custody following their detention in connection with the protest-related developments in Delhi.

A Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) had sent the two men to five days of judicial custody on Wednesday, a day after they breached the de-notified protest site at Jantar Mantar, according to the report.

Their continued detention became a central concern for Dipke, who said CJP would regroup once both members were released. In a post on X on Saturday, he wrote, “Now just waiting for my brothers to be free…”

The custody of the two spokespersons also means that Dipke’s conditional bail has not marked the end of the organisation’s legal and protest-related difficulties. Their release is expected to precede internal discussions about the next phase of the campaign.

However, the available information does not establish when Das and Ranka will be released. Dipke expressed hope that they would be freed on Sunday, but that expectation should not be treated as confirmation of their release.

What Is the CJP’s Protest Against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar About?

The protests are part of a wider campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

The SIR exercise concerns the revision of voter lists, a process that can affect whether eligible citizens are correctly included in electoral rolls. Opposition leaders have also continued demonstrations against the exercise, keeping electoral roll revision at the centre of a broader political dispute.

Criticism of the process has focused on allegations of irregularities. These remain allegations, and the existence of protests does not by itself establish that the Election Commission or its officials committed wrongdoing.

The controversy has extended beyond the substance of the electoral roll revision to questions about the right to protest and the response of law enforcement agencies. CJP’s planned march, the police notice issued to Dipke and the custody of its spokespersons have added another dimension to the dispute.

Delhi Police Action and the ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ March

Dipke had called for the ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march on Friday, October 16, with participants expected to assemble in Delhi. Police served him a notice asking him not to join the march shortly before the planned event.

Dipke nevertheless travelled towards Connaught Place and was detained. He was subsequently arrested before being granted conditional bail the following day.

Separately, Das and Ranka were sent to judicial custody after the incident involving the de-notified protest site at Jantar Mantar. The events resulted in multiple CJP members facing police action during the same period.

According to the source report, Delhi Police also registered three FIRs in connection with the CJP’s Tiranga march. Dipke and Neha Bora were reported to have been released, while Das and Ranka remained in custody at the time of the report.

The separate developments involving the march, the police notice and the alleged breach of the protest site’s restrictions form the immediate background to Dipke’s statement that CJP will reassess its strategy after its members return.

What Happens Next in the CJP Protest?

Dipke has indicated that CJP will meet and determine its next steps after Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka are released. He has not announced a specific date for another march or outlined a detailed plan for future demonstrations.

The organisation’s immediate focus appears to be the release of its two spokespersons and a collective review of the recent events. Dipke has said that the group intends to continue its campaign despite what he described as intimidation through arrests and detentions.

Meanwhile, the wider protests against the SIR exercise remain part of an ongoing dispute involving electoral roll revision, opposition criticism and the conduct of demonstrations in Delhi.

The next developments will depend on the status of Das and Ranka’s custody, any further legal proceedings and the decisions CJP makes after its members regroup. Until then, Dipke’s statement signals an intention to continue the campaign, but the organisation’s precise strategy remains undecided.