Delhi Police boarded Abhijeet Dipke’s flight after it landed in Delhi on 10 October, as per Gulf News. Police detained the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder, as per The Week and the party. He had flown in from Mumbai to lead a rally at Jantar Mantar, as per Gulf News. However, police had not authorised that rally, as per Al Jazeera.
What Happened on 10 October?
Police detained Dipke after the flight landed, as per Gulf News and The Week. The two other leaders were Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, as per Gulf News. Also, Dipke streamed the moment live on Instagram, as per Gulf News. A video shared by the party shows police telling him the protest lacked permission, as per The Week. ABC News reported that an officer told Dipke it was not an arrest. That is why most outlets use the word “detained”. CJP called the detentions “authoritarian detention”, as per Gulf News. In addition, it demanded the leaders’ immediate and unconditional release.
Detention figures differ. CJP says at least 10,000 people have been detained across the country, as per Al Jazeera. The Times of India reported at least 600 detentions in Delhi by 9 am, as per The Week. Still, no official count was available at the time of writing. Neha Bora leads the All India Students’ Association, as per Al Jazeera. She said, “You can detain the people, you cannot detain the movement.”
Why Is the Cockroach Janta Party Protesting?
The party wants Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign, as per Al Jazeera. It calls the rally a “Save Democracy” protest. As per Al Jazeera, it is expected to be the biggest yet in a wave of near-daily protests. The demand relates to the revision of voter lists. As per Al Jazeera, the revision has removed more than 130 million names. On the other hand, the Election Commission says the exercise removes duplicate and ineligible voters, as per Al Jazeera. It says the aim is to stop “foreign illegal immigrants” from voting. But critics say the revision favours the BJP and disproportionately affected marginalised and minority communities.
The Election Commission and the BJP have denied the allegations, as per Al Jazeera. The BJP says the opposition is misleading the country. The Indian Express reported that Kumar’s two deputies raised concerns at least 14 times in 10 months. The protests grew after that report, as per Al Jazeera. On 2 October, Delhi Police detained over 700 people at Jantar Mantar, as per The Week. Dipke had announced the Delhi march at a Mumbai rally that day, as per Siasat.
Who Started the Group and How Did It Grow?
Abhijeet Dipke founded the Cockroach Janta Party in May 2026 as online satire, as per Al Jazeera. It began after Chief Justice Surya Kant called unemployed youth “cockroaches”, as per Al Jazeera. The Chief Justice later said the media had misquoted him, as per Business Today. He said he meant people with fake degrees. Within about 48 hours, the group had nearly 551,000 Instagram followers, as per Business Today. It also had almost 100,000 registered members. As per Al Jazeera, protests over exam paper leaks led the education minister to resign in July. The latest demonstrations come months before state elections in early 2027, as per Al Jazeera. These include Uttar Pradesh, which the BJP governs.
How Have Authorities Responded?
Authorities deployed thousands of police and paramilitary personnel in central Delhi, as per Al Jazeera. Roads to the site were blocked with multiple layers of metal barricades. Police said the rally request was not made on time, as per Al Jazeera. They also said the Cockroach Janta Party had violated undertakings given during earlier protests. Police warned of a forceful response if protesters violate the ban.
Delhi Police ordered mobile internet suspended within 4 km of the Janpath-Kartavya Path crossing, as per NDTV. The order ran for 24 hours from 10 pm on Friday. It was addressed to Airtel, Vodafone-Idea, Jio and MTNL, and cited the Union Home Secretary’s approval. Affected areas include Connaught Place, Mandi House, Pragati Maidan and Khan Market. Police maintained the step was necessary to uphold law and order, as per NDTV. NDTV added that internet was also suspended during the July protest, within a 1.5 km radius. Dipke criticised the shutdown on X, as per Al Jazeera. He said it inconvenienced millions of people.
Entry and exit gates at 57 Metro stations were to close from 9 pm Friday, as per NDTV. The Delhi Metro later revised the list to 45 stations. Over 60 trains due in Delhi on Saturday were cancelled, as per NDTV. The Supreme Court heard a petition against the curbs on Friday, as per NDTV. The court said, “You can’t use a sledgehammer to kill a fly.” A bench led by Chief Justice Kant said there is a distinction between restriction and complete closure. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the government must protect both the right to protest and public safety. He agreed to ask authorities to reassess the prohibitions.
The Wise Take
The events of 10 October raise three questions. The first is the right to protest and its limits. The second is how authorities manage public order. The third is the voter list revision itself. The Cockroach Janta Party, the police and the Election Commission have each stated their positions. This report attributes each position to its source. The Supreme Court noted a difference between regulating movement and halting it, as per NDTV. Readers can follow official statements and court proceedings for updates. Overall, this is a developing story, and details may change.
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