Delhi Police detain Cockroach Janta Party leaders at Jantar Mantar

Delhi Police detained key organisers of the Cockroach Janta Party early on Tuesday after activists breached security barricades at Jantar Mantar, moving swiftly to enforce newly established assembly regulations in the capital.

Footage shared online showed activists Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das climbing over metal police barriers at the historic central Delhi observatory before being taken into custody. The perimeter had been secured following a Union Home Ministry decision on Monday designating three alternative locations for public demonstrations, formally retiring Jantar Mantar as a regular gathering site to prevent recurring civic disruption in the heart of the city.

Security measures enforced at capital sites

Tuesday's detentions followed repeated efforts by law enforcement to keep central Delhi traffic and public spaces moving during a busy festival period. Authorities had deployed police and paramilitary personnel over the weekend, managing crowds after the political group sought to stage mass gatherings without statutory clearances.

Party founder Abhijeet Dipke confirmed the detention of Das and Ranka on social media, while Ranka later broadcasted a video from a police vehicle. Dipke had previously been detained ahead of a weekend gathering and subsequently released.

Security agencies have maintained a strict watch across key transit points, briefly closing selected metro stations and redirecting commuter corridors to ensure safety and prevent public inconvenience during high-footfall days.

Scrutiny over electoral roll updates

The protest movement emerged around demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, following the nationwide Special Intensive Revision of electoral lists. Opposition parties, led by Congress, have alleged the process disadvantages their voters and moved the Supreme Court on Monday to challenge the removals.

The Election Commission has formally dismissed allegations of partiality, clarifying that decisions regarding the revision were taken unanimously by the full commission. The routine statutory cleaning of rolls is aimed at updating obsolete entries, eliminating duplicate registrations, and ensuring the accuracy of India's democratic records.

Regional demonstrations and political disputes

The dispute has also spilled into southern India, where parallel demonstrations in Bengaluru exposed growing friction over protest management. Hundreds gathered at Freedom Park on Tuesday, where student groups and CJP members criticised handling of demonstrations in both cities.

The demonstration in Bengaluru followed municipal measures on Monday, when local police in Karnataka detained approximately 100 anti-revision demonstrators under city protest regulations, prompting the state administration to initiate an internal review into police conduct.

Central authorities maintain that the restructuring of protest venues in New Delhi is intended to provide designated, manageable spaces for public expression without compromising daily commerce and security across the administrative heart of the capital.