Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke was briefly detained by Mumbai Police on Thursday after he was spotted carrying placards near Marine Drive, a day ahead of the group’s planned Gandhi Jayanti protest.
Dipke had gathered at the iconic promenade with a group of supporters holding placards, according to a police official. A team that included a woman inspector approached him and escorted him to the Marine Drive police station in a van. During the ride, the officer inquired about his identity and hometown.
Dipke and his supporters were kept in the police station’s waiting area. After being asked to meet senior officials, he exited the station minutes later, smiling. A video of the brief detention circulated widely on social media.
The police action came ahead of CJP’s planned October 2 protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged discrepancies in electoral rolls linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. The group had sought permission for a rally at Shivaji Park, but Mumbai Police denied it, citing existing restrictions on gatherings at the ground, the absence of mandatory civic permission, and concerns over traffic disruption.
Following the denial, Dipke announced a “Jail Bharo Andolan” (mass voluntary arrest campaign) in the city instead of the planned gathering. Speaking at the Mumbai Press Club on Thursday, he said the CJP would continue its campaign until Kumar resigned and indicated plans to extend protests to other states, including Goa, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh.
The CJP has demanded criminal action against the CEC, a freeze on the SIR exercise, use of the 2025 electoral rolls for elections, and the appointment of a new CEC through an independent process.
