CJP Leaders Sent to Judicial Custody as Protests Over Jantar Mantar and Voter Rolls Intensify

UPDATE - follow-up to Anti-CEC protest LIVE | AISA condemns arrests of CJP's Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka; alleges crackdown on protest movement: Cockroach Janata Party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were sent to five days of judicial custody in Tihar Jail on October 14, 2026, following a trespassing case filed by Delhi Police. An FIR was registered against them for breach of bond, criminal trespass, and disobedience of orders after they entered the de-notified Jantar Mantar area. A third leader, Ajinkya Shinde, was released on a personal bond, while Jantar Mantar itself had been de-notified as a protest site on October 12 under an order by Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar.

Reactions and Political Fallout

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi condemned the arrests, stating at a press conference alongside actor Prakash Raj and advocate Prashant Bhushan that waving the national flag is not a crime and that the INDIA bloc's protests will continue. Rahul Gandhi also noted that no journalists at his briefing affirmed that Narendra Modi was doing the right thing. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slammed the arrests as an attempt to silence youth, noting that around 14,000 people face similar action in her State. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah criticized the opposition rallies, arguing that crowd mobilization in Delhi does not reflect the entire nation.

Voter List Controversy

The Supreme Court agreed to hear petitions from voters whose names were deleted during the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Petitioners represented by advocates Prashant Bhushan and Neha Rathi told a Bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant that deleted voters are being pressured to file declarations stating they never voted before or risk imprisonment. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta defended the revision exercise as a standard procedure carried out regardless of the ruling party.

Context

Jantar Mantar has long served as New Delhi's central landmark for public demonstrations before recent administrative changes shifted designated protest sites to Ramlila Ground, CBD Ground, and Burari Ground. Electoral roll revisions are administrative procedures managed by the Election Commission to update voter databases.