Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) chief spokesperson Saurav Das and national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka were detained by Delhi Police on Tuesday morning after entering Jantar Mantar by climbing over its locked gates, a day after the site lost its designated protest venue status.
In a circular issued on Monday, Delhi Police identified three alternative locations across the city for holding demonstrations, effectively barring protests at Jantar Mantar, where a CJP-led large-scale agitation in June and July led to the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Ranka shared a video on X showing him and Das scaling the locked gates to enter the premises before being apprehended by police personnel present at the site. The attempt to enter Jantar Mantar in Lutyens’ Delhi came a day after the site was de-notified as a designated venue for protests. Based on the committee’s recommendations, Jantar Mantar was de-notified as a protest venue, the circular stated, naming Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in Shahdara as the three alternative locations. “They have removed Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site. Yes, it’s no a longer protest site as anyway it was turned into a war zone by the coward dictator. Ab poora desh Jantar Mantar banega! [entire country will become Jantar Mantar now],” he wrote on X.
Das and Ranka were accompanied by at least 10 others, some of whom managed to enter Jantar Mantar carrying the national flag.
All of them have been detained, a senior police officer said.
