Who is Ajinkya Shinde? The CJP organiser leading Delhi’s Jantar Mantar protest after Dipke’s detention

Hours after Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke was detained at Delhi airport, the man stepping in to lead the party’s protest posted a defiant message to supporters.

“We appeal to everyone to march towards Jantar Mantar!” Ajinkya Shinde said in a video posted on his Instagram page on Saturday and shared by the CJP. Speaking from inside a car, the party’s organisation in-charge warned that police could not stop the movement. “If Delhi Police tries to stop us, wherever they stop us will become our Jantar Mantar,” he said.

The video came after Delhi Police detained Dipke and senior members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka on Saturday morning. Officers boarded their flight from Mumbai soon after it landed in Delhi. The three were on their way to lead a demonstration demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The party links its demand to alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The handover had been planned the night before. In a video recorded on Friday and released by the party after his detention, Dipke named Shinde as the person who would take charge if the leadership was held. “After us, Ajinkya will lead this movement,” Dipke said. The CJP later confirmed on X that Shinde would lead the protest until the detained leaders were released.

For many of the party’s young supporters, Shinde is a less familiar face than Dipke. The 35-year-old is a resident of Latur in Maharashtra and holds a BTech from Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University. Reports describe him as the movement’s main behind-the-scenes organiser, someone who has largely kept away from cameras and interviews.

The CJP appointed him National Organising In-charge in August 2026. Since then, he is reported to have played a central role in the party’s Mumbai operations and spearheaded its “School Thik Karo” campaign. He was also present at the Shivaji Park (Mumbai) protests. He has been named in an FIR together with Dipke, Das, Ranka, Pranav Ahire and more than 400 supporters.

His rise has not been without controversy. Shinde’s appointment drew attention because of his past ties to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). According to Indian media reports, his social media pages once listed him as a former convener of AAP’s Youth Wing in Maharashtra and as the party’s co-in-charge (Sah Prabhari) for Goa. His AAP-tagged Instagram account was later reported to be unavailable, and his Facebook page deactivated.

BJP leader Amit Malviya criticised the appointment by sharing a photograph of Shinde with AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal. AAP has said some CJP members had past links to the party but had since moved on, though that remark was not reported as being about Shinde specifically. His past association does not by itself establish that he is a current AAP member.

Shinde’s call to march came as the capital remained under a heavy security blanket. Delhi Police had denied permission for the gathering, and police said about 500 people arriving in groups were detained, while some reports put the figure at more than 1,500. The CJP said YouTuber Dhruv Rathee was detained from his home in Gurugram on Saturday morning.

Tensions flared near Akashwani Bhawan, where officials said two police personnel were injured after a group of protesters jumped barricades and allegedly threw stones at security forces. Before the protest, Dipke had said the group intended to demonstrate in a democratic and peaceful manner, describing protest as a fundamental right.

With the founder in custody and police blocking routes into central Delhi, the protest’s direction now rests with an organiser who, until Saturday, had worked mostly out of public view.