NEW DELHI: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Saturday alleged that its Mumbai lead, Pranay Ahire, was brutally assaulted by Delhi Police during a protest in the national capital and is receiving treatment at a hospital.In a post on X, the party said Ahire was on the ground during the protest when the alleged assault took place. It questioned the police’s conduct, saying that exercising one’s democratic right should not result in violence.“WHO GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO LAY YOUR HANDS ON HIM?” the party asked, adding that wearing a uniform did not give police personnel the licence to assault people.“A uniform is not a license to assault people. You are supposed to uphold the law and not make a mockery of it,” CJP said in its post.The party also vowed not to be intimidated or silenced and said it would not let the incident go unchallenged.“Haath uthaya hai na, ab jawaab bhi dena padega,” it added.The alleged assault came amid a major security crackdown in Delhi on Saturday, as police detained thousands of protesters ahead of a planned mobilisation at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke and party members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained by Delhi Police from inside an aircraft after their flight from Mumbai landed in the national capital.Dipke criticised the police action, saying CJP leaders were being treated like criminals. He compared the action to dictatorship and said even former prime minister Indira Gandhi had not resorted to such a measure.YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, who lives abroad and had travelled to join the protest against CEC Kumar, was also detained by police from his residence in Gurgaon’s Sector 56 on Saturday.The protest was aimed at pressing for the CEC’s resignation over allegations related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
