Massive protests were launched on Friday by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), opposition parties, and student unions in Delhi and Mumbai, demanding the ouster of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
CJP has announced that it will hold a protest in Mumbai, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), All India Students' Association (AISA), National Students' Union of India (NSUI) and Indian Youth Congress (IYC) at Jantar Mantar, Delhi.
The police in both cities said that the parties were not permitted to protest.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke was briefly taken into custody by Marine Drive police on Thursday after he was spotted carrying placards at Mumbai's promenade.
Dipke was holding placards alongside supporters when police officers approached the group, questioned Dipke, and later took him into custody at the local station.
Mumbai Police, however, denied detaining Dipke.
Officials said he was at Marine Drive around 5 pm, where he was meeting people and asking questions of police personnel deployed there.
Dipke's version of the 'detention'
Dipke later offered a contrasting account of the incident. He alleged that a female police officer invited him to accompany her for tea, after which he was taken to the station and subsequently released. He claimed the officer told him, "Your chai is pending with us."
Dipke said he was not served tea at the station and alleged that the whole scenario was aimed at wasting his time. He also suggested that the officer may have received instructions from senior officials to release him.
After coming back from the police station, Dipke posted several photos of his meeting with students at Ambedkar Hostel in Chembur.
Mumbai Police has denied permission for the proposed protest, citing restrictions governing gatherings at Shivaji Park, the absence of required civic permission and concerns over traffic movement and the passage of emergency vehicles.
