Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (VBA) chief and Dr B.R. Ambedkar's grandson Prakash Ambedkar on Saturday, 10 October 2026, extended his support to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)'s agitation against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, while sharply criticising the Centre's moves to suppress the protest. The CJP is demanding Kumar's resignation over alleged irregularities in the conduct of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Ambedkar Slams Government's 'Emergency-Like' Crackdown

Ambedkar described the administration's response to the protests as tantamount to a state of Emergency. 'The government is totally scared...it should have held talks with the protesters, but instead of that, the government has started a kind of suppression by cancelling trains, shutting down Metros, stopping those wanting to take part in the protest and even checking the vehicles of the common public,' he said.

'So this is in a way, an Emergency-kind of a situation,' he added. The VBA chief noted that it was primarily the younger generation driving the agitation, and said the government had 'not learnt its lesson.'

Warning to BJP: Learn from Congress's Mistakes

Drawing a pointed parallel with the 2012 Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption agitation, Ambedkar cautioned the ruling establishment against antagonising young protesters. 'Youngsters had taken part in large numbers during the 2012 agitation also...and till date they have not allowed Congress to return to power,' he noted.

In an apparent indirect reference to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), he said: 'I believe those who had benefited from that (protest) should have learnt a lesson. Today also the protesters are the younger generation who are not fighting for power, but are agitating for change, for responsibility.' He warned that 'the BJP and the RSS will meet the same fate as the Congress' if they continue to go against the protesters.

Congress Also in the Crosshairs

Ambedkar did not spare the Indian National Congress, either. He said the party 'still has time to mend its ways,' adding that the era of 'one man rule' was over. He cautioned that just as Congress had 'missed the bus in 2012 for failing to get the pulse of the younger generation,' it risked losing the youth again if it failed to align itself with their aspirations this time.

He also drew comparisons with the anti-NEET paper leak agitation at Jantar Mantar, which he said succeeded because ordinary citizens had participated in large numbers. 'This time, too, it will be successful because of the participation of the common man,' he asserted.

CJP Leaders Detained at Delhi Airport

Meanwhile, CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, and Ashutosh Ranka were detained by police from Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi while en route to Jantar Mantar to stage their protest. The three were reportedly held before they could reach the protest site, underscoring the administration's efforts to prevent the demonstration from gaining momentum.

The detentions are likely to intensify scrutiny of the Centre's handling of the agitation, as opposition voices grow louder over what critics are calling an overreach against democratic dissent. How the government responds to the mounting pressure — particularly from credible voices like Ambedkar — could determine the protest's political trajectory in the days ahead.