Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) activist Abhijeet Dipke on Tuesday alleged that party leaders Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Ajinkya Shinde remained in police detention, claiming that authorities were not allowing lawyers to meet them.
In a post on X, Dipke questioned the police action and alleged that due process was not being followed.
"Saurav, Ashu and Ajinkya are still in detention and the police is not allowing the lawyers to meet them," Dipke stated. "How can police stop lawyers from meeting them? This is kidnapping because the police certainly not following the rule of law."
The allegations came after Delhi Police detained CJP activists Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Ajinkya Shinde on Tuesday when they attempted to enter Jantar Mantar, which had been denotified as a designated protest site a day earlier.
Earlier, Dipke had alleged that the detained party leaders were being held at separate locations and that police had prevented lawyers from entering a police station.
Dipke said he had spoken to CJP legal head Ratna Singh, who informed him that Ashutosh Ranka, Ajinkya Shinde and Saurav Das had been kept separately, while 11 volunteers accompanying them had been taken to another location.
"I spoke to Ratna (CJP Legal Head Ratna Singh) just now; she told me that Ashutosh, Ajinkya, and Saurav have been kept separately (after detention in Delhi). The 11 volunteers who were with them have been taken somewhere else," he said.
The activists were detained after allegedly attempting to break through a police cordon and enter Jantar Mantar following the withdrawal of its status as a designated protest venue.
Dipke further alleged that police prevented the party's lawyers from entering the police station and threatened other CJP members with detention.
"When our lawyers reached the Police Station, Police didn't let them enter. Others from our party were threatened with detention there," he said.
Accusing the authorities of disregarding established procedures, Dipke said, "Dictatorship is going on in the country. Rules are being ignored. What are you scared of? I don't understand why Gyanesh Kumar is so important to Narendra Modi."
Earlier, while criticising the police action, Dipke questioned the detention of party members who had attempted to enter Jantar Mantar carrying the national flag.
"Our team went to Jantar Mantar this morning and hoisted the tricolor. When did hoisting the tricolor become a violation? Whoever thinks that hoisting the tricolor at Jantar Mantar is a violation is a traitor. And if Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka, Ajinkya Shinde, and the others who were arrested for hoisting the tricolor are charged, then there should be strict action taken against them. How can you arrest someone for hoisting the tricolor? What kind of country is this? What kind of rule is this?" Dipke said.