News Desk: Ajinkya Shinde, a key organiser of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) from Maharashtra, is set to lead the group’s protest in Delhi against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar following the detention of its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, and other senior members.
Shinde, who serves as the party’s national organisation in-charge, has emerged as one of the prominent faces of CJP. He previously played a significant role in organising the group’s agitation in Mumbai earlier this month and has also gained a following on social media, with more than 23,000 followers on Instagram.
His name came into focus after Dipke announced that Shinde would take charge of the movement if the party’s senior leadership was detained. CJP shared a pre-recorded video of Dipke, reportedly recorded on Friday night in anticipation of a possible arrest.
In the video, Dipke said that if he, co-conveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Rana were arrested, Shinde would carry the movement forward. He also appealed to supporters to follow Shinde and continue backing the organisation.
Apart from his role in protests, Shinde has been associated with CJP’s “School Thik Karo” campaign, which aims to improve the condition of government schools across India. He was also among several party members named in a case related to alleged unlawful assembly and sloganeering in Mumbai’s Dadar area on Gandhi Jayanti. The gathering reportedly involved more than 400 supporters.
Senior CJP leaders detained
Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Saturday shortly after arriving in the national capital. Videos shared by CJP showed police personnel entering the aircraft before passengers began disembarking.
A senior Delhi Police official confirmed that teams from the southwest district had been deployed at the airport. The party strongly criticised the detentions, describing them as authoritarian and alleging that they violated the freedom of movement.
CJP’s legal affairs head, Ratna Singh, was also detained earlier on Saturday.
The detentions came amid heightened security in Delhi ahead of the planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar. The protest was organised to raise concerns over the Election Commission and demand action against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
With several senior leaders in police custody, Shinde is expected to play a central role in determining the movement’s next steps. The developments have placed the Maharashtra-based organiser at the forefront of CJP’s ongoing campaign.
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