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The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has called for a ‘Tiranga March’ at Connaught Place in Delhi on Friday, urging political parties, youth groups, farmers’ unions and student organisations to join the rally.
CJP founder Abhijit Deepke announced the programme, while Delhi Police told the Delhi High Court that it would take all possible legal action against the march. Police said the party had urged its supporters to gather at Connaught Place’s Central Park carrying the national flag.
The march has been called to protest the jailing of CJP joint conveners Saurabh Das and Ashutosh Ranka. Speaking at a press conference in Delhi on Thursday, Deepke accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of bringing the capital to a standstill to protect Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. He said Delhi had been turned into an “India-Pakistan border”.
Earlier, Delhi Police said no further gatherings would be allowed at Jantar Mantar. Das and Ranka went there on Tuesday to protest the restriction. Police arrested them for allegedly defying the ban and placed them in judicial custody at Tihar Jail.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi condemned their arrest and expressed support for the CJP. Several other opposition leaders have also backed the party.
Actor and activist Prakash Raj and Neha Bora, president of the All India Students’ Association (AISA), attended Thursday’s press conference.
Bora expressed solidarity with media workers, alleging that journalists had their cameras snatched and a woman journalist was sexually harassed while performing her professional duties. She also accused the police of siding with a particular political party rather than protecting citizens seeking justice.
The CJP and several other organisations are demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Congress, the principal opposition party in the Lok Sabha, has made the same demand.
Last Saturday, police detained thousands of protesters as leaders of various organisations attempted to hold a rally in Delhi.