New Delhi | The Delhi Police on Saturday refused an extension to the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar and directed its founder Abhijeet Dipke to immediately vacate the site with his supporters.

In a letter issued by the Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi district, police said permission had been granted earlier for the demonstration from 10 am to 5 pm on June 20.

The letter, addressed to Dipke, said the protest was continuing beyond the permitted time and termed the continuation "illegal".

"The continuation of the protest beyond the permitted hours is in violation of the conditions of permission, the undertaking submitted by you, and the directions/guidelines issued on the orders of the Hon'ble Supreme Court governing protests at Jantar Mantar," the letter stated.

The police also warned of legal action against the organisers.

They said Dipke's request seeking an extension "cannot be considered" as the protest was already continuing in violation of the original permission.

"You are, therefore, directed to immediately end this illegal protest and vacate the protest site at Jantar Mantar," the order said.

On Saturday evening, Dipke and hundreds of CJP supporters declared they would not leave the protest site until Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns.

The protest, which began around 1 pm under heavy police deployment, was the second demonstration organised by the CJP at Jantar Mantar over recurring entrance and recruitment paper leaks.

Around 4 pm, nearly an hour before the permitted time ended, Dipke asked the crowd whether they wanted to continue the sit-in "till Pradhan resigns," receiving a resounding "yes" in response.

Supporters, many wearing cockroach masks and carrying placards, banged plates and spoons at the protest site, raising slogans demanding Pradhan's resignation.

Heavy security arrangements remained in place at Jantar Mantar, with CCTV surveillance, body-worn cameras and multiple layers of barricades deployed to monitor the gathering and maintain law and order.