Abhijeet Dipke informed of grandmother’s death in Maharashtra amid detention in Delhi

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder and convener Abhijeet Dipke was informed by Delhi Police on Saturday that his grandmother had died in Maharashtra while he remained in custody following his detention at Delhi airport. Police reportedly gave him the option of returning home to attend her last rites, according to news agency ANI, citing sources.

Dipke’s grandmother, Savitribai Shankar Dipke, died at the age of 85 in the family’s ancestral village of Santuk Pimpri in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district after a prolonged illness. Her last rites were scheduled for Sunday morning.

Dipke, who had arrived in Delhi for the CJP’s planned protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, was detained along with the group’s co-conveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka shortly after their flight landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport on Saturday morning.

According to reports, Dipke had not seen his grandmother for around 20 to 25 days before her death. His parents, Bhagwan Dipke and Anita, travelled to the village following the news.

Dipke names Ajinkya Shinde to lead CJP protest

Before his detention, Dipke had named CJP national organisation in-charge Ajinkya Shinde to lead the protest against Gyanesh Kumar if he and his fellow organisers were arrested.

The group shared a pre-recorded video that Dipke had made on Friday night in anticipation of a possible arrest. In the video, he said Shinde would take over the movement if he, Das and Ranka were detained.

“If you're watching this video, that means Ashutosh, Saurav, and I have been arrested. After us, this movement will be led by Ajinkya. Please follow Ajinkya Shinde, he will be carrying forward Cockroach Janta Party after Ashutosh, Saurav, and me,” Dipke said.

The CJP had called for a demonstration at Jantar Mantar demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Delhi Police denied permission for the gathering and launched extensive preventive measures ahead of the planned protest.

Mamata Banerjee detained during sit-in in Delhi

Former West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee was also detained by Delhi Police on Saturday afternoon after staging a sit-in near the South Avenue bus stand in central Delhi.

Banerjee had been stopped from proceeding towards the planned protest venue. She was detained alongside five Trinamool Congress leaders, including Rajya Sabha MPs Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen, according to reports.

Banerjee’s detention came amid a wider police operation targeting opposition leaders and activists attempting to join the demonstration. Former Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal was also detained outside Lodhi Estate.

Pinarayi Vijayan and other Left leaders detained

Several senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders were detained after arriving in Delhi to participate in the protest. The party’s Kerala unit announced on X that those detained included former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby, MV Govindan Master, A Vijayaraghavan, KK Shailaja, Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas, KN Balagopal, Brinda Karat and PK Sreemathi.

The leaders were heading towards Jantar Mantar to demand Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. The CPI(M) and other opposition figures criticised the detentions, arguing that the police action had restricted their ability to participate in a political demonstration.

The detentions formed part of a broader security operation across Delhi ahead of the CJP-led protest. Police deployed personnel at key locations, established barricades and intercepted groups attempting to reach the designated venue.

The CJP and opposition parties have challenged the Election Commission over the electoral-roll revision process, alleging that it could lead to eligible voters being excluded. The commission has defended the exercise as part of its voter-verification process.