Brief
Delhi police detain CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee ahead of rally
Security forces halted a flight, seized leaders and suspended telecoms as a lockdown aimed to stop a youth rally demanding the election chief’s resignation.
By Felo News Desk · Published
On Saturday, Delhi police detained the founder of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), Abhijeet Dipke, two senior party members and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee as the city entered a lockdown to prevent a planned protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
What happened
Police stopped an Air India flight arriving from Mumbai and removed Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka from the aircraft, according to a CJP statement. Simultaneously, around 50 officers entered Rathee’s residence in Gurugram’s Sector 56 and placed him in custody. The authorities also suspended mobile internet, cancelled train services and shut down several metro stations across New Delhi.
What the reports add
The Khaleej Times live blog noted that scores of protesters chanting “Long live the revolution” were chased by police in central Delhi and forced onto buses. It also reported that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said its leaders – Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas, former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and former state minister K N Balagopal – were detained and taken to Chhatrasal Stadium before being moved elsewhere. Two digital‑media reporters covering the rally were also seized, and lawyers protesting outside the Supreme Court were picked up, according to a post by the bar association president on X.
What was said
"I have come to be arrested, arrest me… I am not afraid of you guys," Dipke told police officers, as shown on television images.
One police officer replied, "No, this is not an arrest. Please cooperate." Yogendra Solanki, who was being pushed onto a bus, told Reuters, "This is violating the rights of the people and the country will not tolerate this anymore."
How it came about
The detentions occurred ahead of a rally organised by the CJP at Jantar Mantar, demanding the resignation of the chief election commissioner over a revision of voter lists that critics claim favours Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP. Earlier coverage by Felo News reported the same flight interception on 10 October and the broader city‑wide lockdown that saw more than 1,000 protesters and opposition figures detained.
Key facts
- CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained at Delhi airport on a flight from Mumbai. (khaleejtimes.com)
- YouTuber Dhruv Rathee was detained from his Gurugram home by about 50 Delhi police officers. (khaleejtimes.com)
- Delhi entered a lockdown, suspending mobile internet, cancelling trains and closing metro stations. (khaleejtimes.com)
- The protest aimed to force the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over voter‑list revisions. (khaleejtimes.com)
Sources
- [1] khaleejtimes.com — originally reported as “CJP protests: India detains Abhijeet Dipke, ex Kerala CM, Druv Rathee to defuse rally”
