News Desk: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke’s grandmother died on Saturday, October 10, amid the ongoing protests in Delhi against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Delhi Police informed Dipke about the death and reportedly gave him the option of returning home to attend the last rites, according to police sources cited by ANI.
Dipke, one of the leading faces of the protest, was detained by Delhi Police after arriving at Indira Gandhi International Airport on Saturday morning. CJP co-conveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were also detained upon landing in Delhi as authorities moved to prevent the planned demonstration from proceeding at Jantar Mantar.
The protest, organised by CJP and its supporters, seeks action against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and raises concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The demonstration has drawn activists, political leaders and public figures, prompting a significant security deployment across parts of the national capital.
It remains unclear from the available information whether Dipke accepted the police’s reported offer to return home for his grandmother’s last rites or decided to remain in Delhi.
Ajinkya Shinde to Lead the Protest
Anticipating the possibility of arrest, Dipke had recorded a video on Friday night outlining the movement’s leadership arrangements. In the video, he said that if he and fellow CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained, the protest would be led by Ajinkya Shinde, the organisation’s national organisation in-charge.
Following Dipke’s detention, Shinde emerged as the designated leader to carry forward the planned demonstration. CJP also circulated Dipke’s pre-recorded message, urging supporters to follow Shinde and continue the movement.
Several Political Leaders Detained
The protests on Saturday also saw the detention of several opposition leaders. CPI(M) leaders, including Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, party general secretary M.A. Baby and other senior leaders, were reportedly detained after arriving at Jantar Mantar.
Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was also detained in the afternoon while staging a sit-in near South Avenue bus stand.
The developments came amid heightened tensions between protesters and Delhi Police over the planned demonstration. Authorities maintained tight security and imposed restrictions at several locations in the capital.
The reported death of Dipke’s grandmother added a personal dimension to an already tense day, as the CJP founder faced a difficult choice between attending a family funeral and remaining involved in the protest movement.
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