Lesson Learnt: Forces, Agencies, Police Gear Up After CJP Warns Of 'Jantar Mantar 2.0'

News india Lesson Learnt: Forces, Agencies, Police Gear Up After CJP Warns Of 'Jantar Mantar 2.0'

Last Updated:September 25, 2026, 11:44 IST

A few more CCTV cameras have been installed around and near the Jantar Mantar stretch to cover a larger area. Additional forces are expected to be requisitioned and deployed.

Security agencies in Delhi have begun preparations for a possible fresh protest at Jantar Mantar after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) threatened to launch a nationwide agitation if Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar does not resign within 48 hours.

Section 189 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) is already in place in the Jantar Mantar area, barring an assembly of more than five people. However, agencies, security forces and the Delhi Police have begun gearing up for what officials are referring to as “CJP 2.0", in case protesters begin gathering at the designated protest site.

At a press conference on Thursday, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, flanked by co-conveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, called Kumar the “biggest anti-national" and warned of a nationwide agitation that could escalate into a “Jantar Mantar 2.0" in the national capital if the CEC does not resign within 48 hours. Dipke alleged that the electoral process had been “rigged".

Lesson Learnt

This time, government agencies have sought to incorporate lessons from the previous protest. A few more CCTV cameras have been installed around and near the Jantar Mantar stretch to cover a larger area. Additional forces are expected to be requisitioned and deployed, while there has also been a notable change in strategy.

The forces, especially the Rapid Action Force (RAF), are likely to use graded force this time and are unlikely to carry lethal weapons such as pellet guns. Sources said that, unlike during previous rounds, the Delhi Police is also likely to avoid giving blanket permission to forces, though anti-riot gear and weapons will remain on standby.

Importantly, inputs so far suggest that if the protest does materialise, political parties, student unions and farmer unions are likely to join in this time, according to the latest intelligence inputs.

The deployment of the RAF is also expected to see major changes, as the top brass has already highlighted lapses during the previous crackdown on the CJP protest.

Delhi’s borders are expected to see a heavy deployment of forces, while inputs have also been shared with neighbouring state police forces as a precautionary measure.

The CJP had said that citizens’ right to vote was being taken away, arguing that if Kumar does not resign, the party would first launch a nationwide protest before converging on Delhi. The group has also demanded a freeze on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and a halt to upcoming polls.

Dipke further said opposition parties should not participate in elections if they believe the polls are being rigged, telling them they would have to “take a stand."

About the Author

Ankur SharmaAssociate Editor

With more than 17 years in journalism, Ankur Sharma is an Associate Editor specializing in internal security and strategic affairs. He covers the Ministry of Home Affairs, paramilitary forces, and cen...Read More

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