New Delhi, Oct 23 Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das on Friday vowed to continue their movement against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with Das asserting that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar would have to resign.
The remarks came after the two leaders appeared before the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) at the Mandir Marg police station in connection with separate cases registered against them.
“The movement continues. We are custodians of this platform which has been given to us by the people of this country. We are just trying to do our best. The movement continues even when we are in jail,” Ranka told reporters after appearing before the SEM.
“We have learnt a lot of things about ourselves and the way the regime is working, and we will change and evolve in the necessary manner,” he said, adding that the next steps would be announced once finalised.
Ranka said they were waiting for the Crime Branch to inform them of the date for the next hearing.
Das said the future course of the movement would be decided collectively, emphasising that it had support beyond the CJP.
“Everyone will decide together. It is a collective call. Not just CJP, a lot of people are with the movement. Gyanesh Kumar will have to resign,” he said.
The CJP has been organising protests against the SIR exercise and demanding Kumar’s resignation. On October 13, Ranka and Das, along with other activists, entered the heavily barricaded Jantar Mantar area, hoisted the tricolour and were detained. The outfit subsequently continued its protests, including a call for a Tiranga march in Connaught Place.
Ranka and Das were arrested on October 14 and sent to judicial custody. Their custody was extended before the SEM ordered their release on October 21.
The two had sought additional time on Thursday to join the investigation and appeared before the SEM on Friday, police sources said.
(PTI News)
