Abhijeet Dipke admits Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das directed CJP protests

Cockroach Janta Party convenor Abhijeet Dipke has conceded that jailed co-convenors Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were the primary architects of recent demonstrations in the capital, acknowledging that he merely acted on their direct instructions.

In a video address, Dipke said the two detained leaders called the shots across the outfit's recent campaigns. The remarks come as Delhi Police maintain strict administrative vigilance over unauthorised rallies and continue investigations into public order offences linked to the group.

What Abhijeet Dipke said about the protests

Addressing party supporters on Dussehra, Dipke said his public posture as the movement's head did not reflect how decisions were reached. He identified Ranka and Das as the central strategists driving party actions, including recent demonstrations targeting the Election Commission.

"Outside it might seem like I was the leader, but I wasn't the leader," Dipke said, adding that the two co-convenors gave specific directions on daily actions that he then carried out.

Dipke confirmed the outfit will hold no further demonstrations before Diwali, urging members to disperse. The stand-down comes after law enforcement officers cracked down on attempts to bypass assembly regulations in high-security zones.

Bail disputes and threats to magistrate

Ranka and Das remain in judicial custody following their arrest on 12 October after trespassing at Jantar Mantar, which has been denotified as an authorised protest site. Authorities alleged that the pair scaled locked gates, crossed police barricades, and breached a peace bond signed on 10 October.

Legal proceedings around the case escalated after Delhi Police registered a First Information Report against unidentified individuals for issuing threats to a Special Executive Magistrate overseeing the bail process.

Dipke himself was released on conditional bail from Mandir Marg Police Station after being detained ahead of an unpermitted gathering at Central Park in Connaught Place. He subsequently met legal counsel to coordinate representation for Ranka and Das.

Civic response to political disruptions

The agitations have drawn sharp public rebukes from civic organisers and elected representatives in Delhi, who pointed to the disruptive tactics employed during festive periods. At Netaji Subhash Place in Pitampura, the Shri Keshav Ram Leela Committee burnt a 30-foot cockroach effigy alongside traditional figures on Dussehra to signal civic cleanliness and public order.

Committee president Ashok Goel Devaraha, a Bharatiya Janata Party legislator representing Model Town, said the event was organised to support the Swachh Bharat and Swachh Delhi cleanliness drives, targeting public nuisances that disrupt city life. Delhi cabinet minister Kapil Mishra said the broader public would not tolerate political disruptions that compromise urban peace, noting that law enforcement authorities remain resolved to uphold civic order across the national capital.