Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, prominent figures in the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), were released from Tihar jail following a magistrate’s release order. The two had been detained after crossing barricades and entering Jantar Mantar, a historic protest venue that was recently removed from the government’s list of designated demonstration sites. Their arrest occurred approximately one week prior to their release.
The CJP is a youth-led collective that originated as an internet phenomenon in May following comments by India’s top judge comparing unemployed young people to cockroaches. The movement has since evolved into a significant organizing force, initially mobilizing protesters over allegations of leaked examination papers. By July, the CJP had gained substantial momentum, organizing a march toward parliament that resulted in confrontations with police and drew increased public attention to the movement.
The CJP and allied opposition parties, student organizations, and other critics have focused their recent efforts on India’s electoral system. They contend that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has manipulated electoral rolls through a process called the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Both the BJP and the Election Commission have denied these allegations. The SIR process has resulted in approximately 130 million names being removed from voter rolls since last year, with critics warning this could exclude eligible voters. The Election Commission maintains the exercise aims to eliminate ineligible, deceased, and duplicate entries from the voter database.
Das, upon his release, made a statement to journalists from a police vehicle regarding the broader movement. His arrest and subsequent detention were connected to the CJP’s ongoing campaign calling for the chief election commissioner to step down from his position.
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