CJP Protests: ‘Why are you protecting Gyanesh Kumar?’ CJP’s Saurav Das questions Modi, Shah; alleges EC works only for them

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders on Sunday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over their alleged efforts to protect Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that an atmosphere of fear and an “Emergency-like situation” had been created in the country amid the party's protest against the poll panel chief.

Speaking at a press conference after their release from detention, CJP leader Saurav Das alleged that Delhi Police forcibly entered their aircraft and detained them without issuing a formal detention notice. He further claimed that their phones were seized and they were not allowed to contact a lawyer.

“An atmosphere of fear has been created in the country. It's clearly being done to save one person,” Das said, questioning why the government was going to such lengths to protect Kumar.


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“We want to ask Modi and Shah, why are you trying to save Gyanesh Kumar?” he asked, adding, “What does Gyanesh Kumar have that you are protecting him so much?”

Das also raised questions about the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, referring to Modi's contest in Varanasi, where the Prime Minister's initial lead over Congress candidate Ajay Rai had fluctuated before he eventually won the constituency. Das questioned whether Kumar knew something about the election that explained the government's alleged efforts to protect him.

The CJP leader further questioned why the government had not removed Kumar despite what he described as pressure from within the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He asked what made the issue so important that such a large police deployment was required to contain the protest.

“This system is broken and corrupt, and it can work this way,” Das said, alleging that the system was working only for two people — Modi and Shah.

‘Emergency-like situation’ in the country, alleges CJP leader

Another CJP leader, Ashutosh Ranka, alleged that the events surrounding the protest reflected growing authoritarianism and compared the situation to the Emergency imposed in 1975.

Also read: Four men claiming links to Hindu Raksha Dal arrested for assault on students during CJP protest

Ranka claimed that the authorities had caused widespread disruption in the national capital in an attempt to prevent people from joining the demonstration. He alleged that trains had been cancelled and citizens inconvenienced over the preceding days, describing the developments as unprecedented in independent India.

He also alleged that police personnel behaved insensitively towards CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke after he was informed about the death of his grandmother. According to Ranka, Dipke was not allowed to communicate freely with his family at the time, while police personnel continued recording the episode.

Ranka said the incident had reinforced the party's resolve to continue its agitation. “We want to make it clear that this fight has only just begun,” he said.

The CJP leaders alleged that the government was treating citizens demanding electoral accountability as adversaries rather than engaging with them. They argued that the authorities should have allowed a delegation of protesters to meet officials and present their demands instead of responding with police action.

Ranka also claimed that between 30,000 and 40,000 security personnel had been deployed in Delhi over the preceding days. This figure could not be independently verified from the available material.

‘This protest is still on’

Das thanked student organisations and political parties that had supported the agitation, saying the protest would continue despite the detention of its leaders and police action against demonstrators.

He alleged that protesters continued to face detention and physical assault, including an incident in which a Students' Federation of India (SFI) student was allegedly beaten.

The press conference followed the detention of CJP leaders ahead of the party's planned October 10 protest at Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The party has been demanding Kumar's resignation over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

The CJP and student organisations had sought to mobilise demonstrators to press for electoral reforms and raise concerns about the revision of voter lists. Delhi Police had denied permission for the Jantar Mantar demonstration, citing security and law-and-order concerns.

The detention of CJP leaders and the restrictions imposed around the proposed protest have intensified the political confrontation, with the party accusing the authorities of suppressing dissent and the police maintaining that security concerns necessitated restrictions.

The CJP leaders reiterated that their agitation would continue and thanked student groups and political parties that had stood by them, saying the campaign for electoral accountability would not be called off.