NEW DELHI: The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on Thursday claimed that its organisation co-incharge Deepak Baliyan was detained from his home in Rajasthan ahead of the party’s October 10 protest in Delhi against chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.Party leader Ashotosh Ranka claimed in a post on X that Baliyan was “forcibly picked up” by the Rajasthan Police.“Our organization’s co-in-charge Deepak Baliyan has just been forcibly picked up by Rajasthan Police and taken to the police station,” Ranka said.He further claimed that party workers were heading towards the police station, saying, “you have no idea how many tractors are about to reach outside the station right now.”However, the Rajasthan Police denied taking any such action. A police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said police personnel had visited Baliyan’s residence in Kathumar town in Alwar district, but he was not detained and remained at home.The CJP has announced a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on October 10 against CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise.“We are ready to be detained or arrested, but protest will be held on Oct 10 at Jantar Mantar,” CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said, according to news agency PTI.Dipke also questioned the restrictions on protests in the national capital, asking, “If Mumbai, Bengaluru can have peaceful protest, why Amit Shah not allowing it in Delhi,” PTI reported.Earlier in the day, Dipke, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee and actor-activist Prakash Raj led a protest in Bengaluru against Kumar, demanding his immediate resignation over alleged irregularities in the SIR of electoral rolls.Protesters from different sections, including women and students, gathered at Freedom Park, where the demonstration saw sustained slogan-shouting against the SIR exercise and demands for Kumar to step down.According to the organisers, the protest, described as a people’s tribunal for victims of SIR from across Karnataka, will be followed by a “Chappal protest” in solidarity with women.Posters at the venue carried slogans including “Error 404 – Name Not Found”, “It’s done bro, resign sir” and “Don’t erase us, hear us”.Some protesters also raised slogans such as “Dictatorship will not be tolerated”, “vote theft” and “Gyanesh Kumar Gaddi leave your chair.”(With agency inputs)
