The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday, 10 October declared the Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi a complete failure, alleging that 'anarchic elements' had attempted to 'hold India hostage' but had been thwarted. The claim came as CJP leaders, including its founder, were detained before the demonstration could gain momentum.

What BJP Said at the Press Conference

BJP National Spokesperson Sambit Patra, addressing a press conference, dismissed the gathering at Jantar Mantar as a 'flop show' that bore no relation to the larger national mood. 'What is happening at Jantar Mantar, what is being shown on television, and how some social media handles are portraying Jantar Mantar do not reflect India's story,' Patra said.

He further alleged that 'some anarchic elements' had been 'creating disorder in one corner of Delhi' over the preceding days, but insisted their effort had collapsed. 'The attempt was to hold India hostage, hold the national Capital hostage, that there be arson and violence here. But today, loktantra has triumphed over bheedtantra... The anarchists have failed, and their flop show will not continue,' Patra said.

What the CJP Protest Was About

The CJP had called the demonstration at Jantar Mantar to protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. Organisers alleged large-scale voter deletions during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and raised broader allegations of 'vote theft'. The protest was framed as a democratic challenge to the election body's conduct, though the BJP characterised the entire exercise as seditious in intent.

Key Detentions Before the Protest

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, along with CJP Spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were detained by Delhi Police as they arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) before reaching the protest venue. Notably, Dipke shared a video showing police personnel boarding the flight to take him and other CJP members into custody — a sequence that drew sharp attention on social media.

Separately, social media influencer Dhruv Rathee was reportedly detained at his residence in Gurugram. According to a post on the CJP's official X account, around 50 police personnel in plain clothes reached Rathee's home at approximately 8 am and took him into custody.

Broader Context and What It Signals

This is the latest episode in a deepening standoff between civil society organisations and electoral authorities over the conduct of the SIR process. Critics argue that the revision exercise disproportionately removed voters from rolls in certain constituencies — allegations the Election Commission has not publicly accepted. The BJP's decision to hold a press conference characterising the protest as an anarchist plot — rather than engaging with the substantive voter-deletion allegations — reflects a deliberate framing strategy ahead of state election cycles. The detentions, meanwhile, will likely intensify scrutiny of how authorities are managing dissent in the capital.