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New Delhi: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) recently sent out an invitation to volunteers who had been part of its historic Jantar Mantar protest, calling them to a national-level volunteers’ meeting in Delhi on Wednesday (August 12).

The meeting, to be led by the CJP’s national executive committee had a three-point agenda: discuss the party’s roadmap, expand its organisational structure, and plan its proposed national campaign, “Kya Bolti Public (What is the public talking about)”. 

On Wednesday morning, however, CJP changed the venue from a banquet hall in East Delhi to one in West Delhi. By the afternoon, hundreds had gathered at a banquet hall in Naraina. CJP volunteers at the entrance carefully checked the credentials of attendees trying to ensure only those who had been invited were attending.

Inside the banquet hall on the third floor, people sat in an orderly fashion on a large carpet, their shoes neatly lined up to a side, and their mobile phones deposited with CJP volunteers for the duration of the meeting. Everything seemed ready for a serious organisational meeting. 

And then the powers that be went into action. 

First the lights went out and then the air-conditioning. For about half an hour there was confusion as everyone tried to figure out what was going on.

It soon emerged that the banquet hall management had come under pressure not to host the meeting.........

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