Why the CJP Is Holding Lehra Do Tiranga Protests Across India
The Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) “Lehra Do Tiranga” protests, held in Delhi and other cities on Friday, October 16, grew out of the jailing of two party leaders after they unfurled the national flag at Jantar Mantar earlier this week. The party says waving the Tricolour is not a crime and is demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The Jantar Mantar Case
CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained on October 13 after they reached Jantar Mantar, unfurled the Tricolour and raised slogans against the Chief Election Commissioner. Jantar Mantar had been de-notified as a protest site by an order of October 11. On October 14, a Special Executive Magistrate in Delhi remanded the two to five days of judicial custody, finding that they had breached peace bonds signed after earlier preventive action, LiveLaw reported.
Police alleged that the two had trespassed into Jantar Mantar and kept urging people on social media to gather despite legal restrictions. A third leader, Ajinkya Shinde, was released on a personal bond. The matter is listed for further enquiry on October 19. “We will show that waving a tiranga is not a crime,” CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said while announcing the protest, The Week reported.
What the Protesters Want
The campaign is part of a wider wave of protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Protesters are demanding the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar and the withdrawal of the SIR. Aam Aadmi Party leader Gopal Rai said the protest would continue until the CEC resigns and the SIR is revoked. Left student and youth groups also held Tiranga marches on Friday.
The CJP was launched online in May 2026 as a satirical youth platform and is not registered with the Election Commission. Its protests have drawn support from several Opposition parties, while traders’ bodies in Delhi have complained about business losses from repeated closures.
Why It Matters for Ordinary People
Electoral roll revisions decide whose names appear on voter lists, so concerns about the process matter to every voter, especially migrants and first-time voters. At the same time, prolonged protests affect shopkeepers, daily-wage workers and commuters in the areas where they are held.
Courts are now involved on several fronts. The Supreme Court has issued notice on the Jantar Mantar de-notification, and recently issued contempt notices over remarks made during the SIR protests. Friday’s detentions are covered in our report on Abhijeet Dipke and Neha Bora.
The next hearing in the Das and Ranka case on October 19 is likely to shape how the campaign proceeds.
Based on reporting by LiveLaw, The Week, ETV Bharat and Deccan Herald, with the Jantar Mantar notice reported by OdishaBytes.
Image: Deccan Herald.
