Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, two of the most visible leaders of India’s Gen‑Z‑led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), walked out of Tihar jail hours after a special executive magistrate ordered their release. The men had been detained by police a week earlier for crossing barricades and climbing the locked gate at Jantar Mantar, a historic protest site that was recently removed from its list of designated venues.
Both leaders denied any wrongdoing and have been at the forefront of a campaign calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who critics allege has manipulated voter rolls to benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The CJP, originally an internet joke sparked by a top judge’s remarks comparing unemployed youth to “cockroaches,” has since grown into a significant political force, mobilising thousands over leaked exam papers and later focusing on electoral reform.
After bail was granted, Das addressed reporters from a police van, declaring, “Truth alone triumphs. Long live the revolution.” The release order, reported by legal news site Bar and Bench, came following a special court hearing in Delhi.
The CJP’s activism has led to high‑profile incidents, including a violent march towards Parliament that resulted in clashes with police and the eventual resignation of India’s education minister. The group now accuses the CEC of carrying out a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls that has removed around 130 million names from the list, a move said to potentially disenfranchise eligible voters. Both the CEC and the BJP reject these claims, arguing the SIR removes ineligible, deceased, or duplicate entries.
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