NEW DELHI: The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on Sunday accused the Delhi administration of imposing excessive security restrictions and disrupting public transport to suppress a youth-led movement, describing the prevailing situation as an “open Emergency”.
Addressing a joint press conference, CJP activists Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka alleged that heavy security deployment, metro station closures and the suspension of train services had inconvenienced ordinary citizens amid a political standoff over demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Das claimed that Delhi had been turned into a “cantonment” over the past three to four days, alleging that 30,000 to 40,000 security personnel had been deployed across the national capital. He compared the situation to the Emergency imposed in 1975 and accused the administration of using public inconvenience to turn opinion against the protest movement.
The activists also criticised the reported closure of metro stations, disruption of railway services, including Rajdhani trains, and the shutting of markets, alleging that the restrictions had affected daily life beyond the protesting groups.
Ranka separately criticised the Delhi Police over the manner in which CJP activist Abhijeet Dipke was informed of his grandmother’s death. He alleged that police personnel and media representatives were present during the distressing moment, calling the conduct insensitive.
Police officials, however, said Dipke was informed about the death of his grandmother following a prolonged illness in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district. According to officials, he was also informed about the funeral arrangements and offered assistance to travel home on humanitarian grounds.
The allegations came a day after heightened security and mass detentions in Delhi, where a CJP-led protest at Jantar Mantar, demanding Kumar’s resignation, was met with a heavy police deployment. Activists Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were detained as they arrived at the national capital’s airport, with police citing the absence of permission for the proposed protest.
Around 1,000 people, including prominent Opposition leaders, were reportedly detained during Saturday’s developments. Police sources subsequently said most detainees had been released, while CJP leaders remained in custody as authorities prepared to follow due legal procedures.
Security deployment was expected to continue amid the possibility of further protests by the CJP and other student and youth organisations. The episode has triggered competing allegations over public order, protest restrictions and democratic rights.
