CJP protest: Protesters hide in gurdwara, don cockroach helmets to evade Delhi Police

Dramatic scenes unfolded in the national capital on Saturday during a proposed demonstration by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Around 500 people were detained by police amid massive security deployment, with protesters resorting to unique tactics ranging from donning cockroach-antennae helmets to hiding in a local gurdwara to avoid detention.

Despite heavy security turning the New Delhi area into a fortress, agitators repeatedly gathered at various spots to raise slogans against the police before being chased down and taken into custody.

Although the protest was slated to start at 10:30 AM, security forces blocked participants from reaching Jantar Mantar, where prohibitory orders were enforced. Police had previously denied permission for the rally. Numerous demonstrators were detained from multiple locations, including near Regal Cinema in Connaught Place, while many others were turned away.


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As police chased groups trying to regroup, some protesters made it to the area near Shivaji Stadium Metro Station and shouted slogans against the security personnel. A group of 10 to 20 marchers slowly moved down the road, chanting slogans including, "Your children will be suffering too".

When a protester stepped into the middle of the road to shout slogans, officers rushed over to apprehend him. Buses loaded with detainees continuously departed the area, with some inside shouting "Inquilab Zindabad" and others flashing their press credentials from the bus windows.

Amid the heavy police presence, Anand, a Delhi resident employed in the private IT sector, walked alone along a footpath near Shivaji Stadium Metro Station wearing a helmet modified with cockroach antennae to express solidarity.

"This is my own way of paying a tribute to the CJP and opposition alliance leader because what the current dispensation is doing is not in line with what the government should ideally be doing," he told PTI, adding that the intense security presence curtailed freedom of expression and basic rights.

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Other bystanders chose to stay on the sidelines to avoid arrest while voicing agreement with the cause. Md Asif, visiting from Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, said he had arrived two days prior anticipating the crackdown and likened the security setup to an international boundary.

"This is not even looking like its national capital. It looks like they have made an India-Pakistan border here," he noted.

Police chased and detained several protesters, including women, across various points. A few agitators sought refuge inside a local gurdwara during the commotion. Senior police officials personally monitored the situation on the ground, deploying personnel across major intersections and conducting flag marches while appealing for compliance with prohibitory orders.