‘Ready to go to jail’: CJP leaders claim imminent NSA arrests ahead of nationwide Oct 10 protests
New Delhi: Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) activist Ashutosh Ranka claimed on Monday that fellow party members Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, and he face imminent arrest prior to October 10 under the National Security Act (NSA) or similar statutory provisions.
Ranka stated that all three activists have been braced for potential detention since June 6, stressing that they harbour no apprehension regarding prospective police action.
"Multiple sources have reached out informing that @abhijeet_dipke @SauravDassss and I will be arrested anytime before 10th under NSA/other equivalent provisions. All three of us have been ready to go to Jail since June 6. There is no fear about it," Ranka stated.
He further asserted that the BJP-led government is unsettled by their campaign, alleging that the administration is turning to coercive measures out of anxiety.
"But the ones hell bent on destroying this country should be the ones frightened. And they are. As Gandhi said, “violence and hatred stem from fear”. The govt is frightened, and that’s why it is resorting to violence," Ranka added.
Maintaining that the party members have nothing to lose in their campaign for systemic reform, Ranka stated: "We are 30-year-olds fighting for a better, more accountable India. We have nothing to lose. You can arrest us, beat us, even kill us. But you cannot stop us."
Concurrently, CJP member Abhijeet Dipke affirmed that the group intends to press forward with its campaign against the government.
"If the Govt believes that the threat of UAPA, NSA or years behind bars will scare us into silence, it won’t. We are prepared to face whatever comes our way and, if necessary, spend months or years in jail, but we will not back off from our fight to save democracy. We follow the path shown by Mahatma Gandhi, and we will continue to resist peacefully and non-violently, no matter how much the State tries to intimidate us," Dipke said.
The assertions follow recent police actions that resulted in hundreds of detentions during demonstrations demanding the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
Denouncing the state response, CJP's Saurav Das stated in a post on X that young citizens are now alert and will refuse to tolerate authoritarian measures.
“The government is planning on arresting me, Abhijeet, Ashutosh, Ratna and other Cockroach Janta Party leaders. If the government thinks that such dictatorial actions will work, then they are mistakened! The young generation has awakened,” Das wrote.
He added: “We appeal to everyone to continue fighting for our rights and future, with or without us. We have always been ready to face jail or worse. But this will be a big mistake. The young will not tolerate this.”
ALSO READ: 'How many people will you arrest?': CJP
Outlining plans for an upcoming demonstration, Das posted: “The protests must continue. People of India should ensure the biggest mobilisation starting October 10th.”
The CJP has called on the public to assemble for a major protest on October 10 following the controversy surrounding the SIR process.
The row involving CEC Gyanesh Kumar emerged after The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi formally recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over a 10-month period regarding decisions on voter rolls, registration procedures, and internal technology infrastructure.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has rejected claims that the recorded observations represented institutional dissent against final policy decisions. The poll body stated that technical queries, administrative inputs, and suggestions raised during preliminary stages form standard procedural practice, adding that final decisions regarding the SIR timeline were taken unanimously.
ANI