A court in Delhi has ordered the release of top leaders of the Gen Z-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), including founder Abhijeet Dipke. Dipke and two other senior CJP leaders, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, had been detained on Saturday upon their arrival in Delhi to lead protests.
The city is bracing for a second day of protests today, with thousands of security personnel deployed and roads barricaded. Police had refused permission for the protests and implemented extensive curbs to prevent demonstrators from reaching the planned venue, Jantar Mantar.
On Saturday, police officials boarded a flight to detain Dipke, Das, and Ranka as their plane landed. Thousands of protesters were reportedly detained and later released. The CJP is seeking electoral reforms ahead of crucial state elections and has demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of manipulating voters' lists, which the Election Commission denies.
The court released the three leaders on the condition that they will not engage in a breach of peace for one year, though the implications for their participation in protests are unclear. The CJP has called for more protests today.