New Delhi: Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) activist Ashutosh Ranka has said that he and two senior colleagues — founder Abhijeet Dipke and spokesperson Saurav Das — could be picked up before October 10 under the National Security Act (NSA) or similar stringent laws.
Ranka on Monday claimed the trio has mentally prepared for jail since June 6 and remains unafraid of any state action.
He said, “Multiple sources have reached out informing that @abhijeet_dipke @SauravDassss and I will be arrested anytime before 10th under NSA/other equivalent provisions. All three of us have been ready to go to Jail since June 6. There is no fear about it.”
‘Govt Is Frightened’
He alleged the BJP-led government is acting out of fear of their movement and has turned violent because of it.
Ranka added, “But the ones hell bent on destroying this country should be the ones frightened. And they are. As Gandhi said, ‘violence and hatred stem from fear’. The govt is frightened, and that’s why it is resorting to violence.”
Underscoring their determination to continue the agitation, Ranka said, “We are 30-year-olds fighting for a better, more accountable India. We have nothing to lose. You can arrest us, beat us, even kill us. But you cannot stop us.”
‘Threat Of UAPA, NSA Won’t Scare Us’
Dipke backed Ranka’s claim and vowed that CJP would press on with its agitation regardless of legal threats.
He stated, “If the Govt believes that the threat of UAPA, NSA or years behind bars will scare us into silence, it won’t. We are prepared to face whatever comes our way and, if necessary, spend months or years in jail, but we will not back off from our fight to save democracy. We follow the path shown by Mahatma Gandhi, and we will continue to resist peacefully and non-violently, no matter how much the State tries to intimidate us.”
‘Young Will Not Tolerate This’
Das, meanwhile, slammed the police crackdown that saw hundreds detained during protests seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, as reported by The News Mill.
He described the reported arrest plans as a dictatorial blunder.
Taking to X, Das wrote that the government’s plans to arrest him and other CJP leaders represent mistaken dictatorial actions, stating: “The government is planning on arresting me, Abhijeet, Ashutosh, Ratna and other Cockroach Janta Party leaders. If the government thinks that such dictatorial actions will work, then they are mistaken! The young generation has awakened.”
Das urged citizens to persist in the struggle for their rights and future, regardless of whether leaders are detained. “We have always been ready to face jail or worse. But this will be a big mistake. The young will not tolerate this,” Das added.
Terming the October 10 call a major show of strength, he appealed to people across India to turn out in force.
The CJP has asked citizens to hold protests on October 10 over the SIR dispute.
The row over Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar took off after the Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally objected at least 14 times in 10 months to decisions on electoral rolls, voter registration and the poll panel’s tech systems.
The Election Commission has rejected the claim that these objections showed institutional dissent, saying they were routine administrative queries and suggestions at the draft stage. It also said the SIR schedule was decided unanimously.