India: CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke released after detention

Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), was released from detention on Saturday, following his arrest the previous day during protests against election authorities in India's capital, Delhi. The 31-year-old youth leader was apprehended while attempting to join the protest in Connaught Place. The CJP movement shared an image of Dipke on X, referring to him as a "free man."

Dipke's legal affairs chief, Ratna Singh, confirmed his release on social media, stating that he had agreed to certain conditions. Dipke himself acknowledged the possibility of imprisonment, expressing readiness to face any outcome, in a post on Instagram. Neha Bora, the All India Students Association (AISA) President, who was also detained during a protest on Friday, was released later that evening.

Bora has become a prominent figure in the protests against India's Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, over allegations of voter list manipulation. Critics, including opposition leaders, argue that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise has disproportionately removed minority voters from India's electoral rolls, possibly benefiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist BJP.

The ECI denies any bias and claims that SIR aims to remove deceased, relocated, and duplicate entries while preventing the inclusion of foreign illegal immigrants.

Modi's BJP has criticized its opponents for undermining democracy and denounced the protests as attempts to incite anarchy. The opposition, including the Congress party and affiliated organizations, has accused them of seeking regime change and using youth for political confrontation. The CJP has vowed legal action against Das and Ranka if they are not released by their release date.