New Delhi: Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to officially declare an Emergency, accusing the authorities of suppressing dissent after two party activists were remanded to five days of judicial custody for allegedly unfurling the national flag at Jantar Mantar.

CJP activists Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were remanded to judicial custody on Wednesday following a protest linked to the party’s campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

In a post on X, Dipke said the activists had been sent to custody for unfurling the Tricolour at Jantar Mantar.

“Show some guts, @narendramodi. If you’re so determined to crush dissent, have the courage to officially declare an Emergency instead of hiding behind these cowardly tactics,” he wrote.

‘Unofficial emergency’: Dipke alleges illegal detention

Reacting to the activists being remanded to custody, Dipke alleged that Saurav, Ashutosh and another activist, Ajinkya, had been held illegally since the previous day and denied access to their lawyers.

“I want to tell Narendra Modi that if you want to impose an emergency in the country, do it officially. Why are you running an unofficial emergency where people are sent to five days of detention just for waving the national flag at Jantar Mantar?” Dipke said in a video statement.

“Such things did not happen even during the Emergency. If you have the strength, declare the Emergency officially,” he added.

Dipke also accused the authorities of hiding behind the police to suppress dissent. His allegations regarding illegal detention and access to lawyers were not independently established in the information provided.
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CJP says it shares cause with INDIA bloc

Dipke said the CJP and the INDIA bloc were protesting against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over what he alleged was electoral manipulation to help Modi remain in power.

“All these protests are fighting for the exact same cause. We all share a single goal, fighting against Gyanesh Kumar, who is rigging elections to help Narendra Modi stay in power,” he said.

However, the CJP founder stressed that sharing a cause with the opposition alliance did not mean his organisation would give up its independence.

“Cockroach Janata Party is an independent pressure group and will always remain so but that does not mean we are against the INDIA bloc. We are fighting for the very same cause,” he said.

His remarks indicate a shared objective between the CJP’s campaign and the INDIA bloc’s agitation, without any announcement of a formal merger or organisational tie-up.
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Protests against Gyanesh Kumar continue

The developments come amid continuing opposition protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Opposition leaders, students and activists have participated in demonstrations raising concerns about the Election Commission’s functioning and alleged electoral irregularities.

The detention of the CJP activists has added to the controversy over access to protest venues in the national capital and the handling of demonstrations by the authorities.