After detention, Dipke asks CJP supporters to follow Ajinkya Shinde

After CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and two co-conveners were detained at Delhi airport, he named organisation in-charge Ajinkya Shinde to lead the party’s protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar. Police said Dipke was informed of his grandmother’s death in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district

New Delhi: Following the detention of the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) core leadership on Saturday, founder Abhijeet Dipke handed over charge of the outfit’s protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar to CJP organisation in-charge Ajinkya Shinde.

Hours after Dipke, along with co-conveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, was detained on a flight at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in Delhi, a video posted on Dipke’s X account showed him asking supporters to follow Shinde’s leadership. Shinde will lead the CJP’s protest in the absence of its conveners, Dipke said in the pre-recorded video.

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“If you are watching this video, it means that I, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka have been arrested. In our absence, Ajinkya will lead the protest and the CJP movement. All those of you who are watching this video, please follow Ajinkya Shinde. He will be carrying forward the Cockroach Janta Party after Ashutosh, me and Saurav,” Dipke said.

Earlier, Delhi Police personnel entered the aircraft carrying Dipke after it landed at IGI Airport.

Dipke also posted a video showing police personnel entering the aircraft as he, Das and Ranka were detained on board.

In the video, Dipke was heard telling the police, “…I have come here to be arrested; arrest me.”

The CJP announced the detentions in a post on its social media account, stating: “Abhijeet Dipke DETAINED! Saurav Das DETAINED! Ashutosh Ranka DETAINED!”

Social media influencer Dhruv Rathee was also detained at his residence in Gurugram. According to a post on the CJP’s X account, around 50 police personnel in plain clothes reached Rathee’s residence at around 8 am and took him into custody.

According to officials, around 1,000 protesters were detained in different parts of the national capital on Saturday while on their way to participate in the CJP’s agitation demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Meanwhile, Dipke’s grandmother died on Saturday in Santuk Pimpri village in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district. She had been unwell for the past few days due to a prolonged illness and age-related ailments.

Delhi Police said Dipke had been informed of his grandmother’s death. Officials said it was up to him to decide whether to remain in detention in connection with the protest or return for the last rites.