Delhi Police detained Cockroach Janata Party leader Abhijeet Dipke, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, and hundreds of demonstrators heading to Jantar Mantar to protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Delhi Police detained more than 7,000 protesters across the national capital on October 10 as authorities moved to prevent a planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
According to a PTI report published by Rediff, those detained included Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, several opposition leaders and activists. Police sources said more than 2,000 people were detained in the New Delhi area alone.
Authorities deployed over 30,000 police and paramilitary personnel across the city, set up barricades and closed 45 metro stations as security measures disrupted movement across parts of Delhi.
Opposition leaders criticised the police action, with Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee describing the situation as a “Super Emergency”.
CJP Leaders Detained Before Reaching Jantar Mantar
Dipke and two CJP leaders, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were detained inside an aircraft shortly after their flight from Mumbai landed in Delhi. Police also detained Rathee at his residence in Gurugram’s Sector 56.
The CJP had called for a demonstration seeking Kumar’s resignation over allegations of voter-list manipulation during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and changes to Form 6.
Police told CJP leaders that they did not have permission to hold the protest at Jantar Mantar. The security deployment ultimately prevented most demonstrators from reaching the designated protest site.
In a video released after his detention, Dipke said Ajinkya Shinde, the party’s in-charge, would lead the protest. The CJP maintained that its demonstrations would continue nationwide, even without its detained leaders.
Over 30,000 Personnel Deployed Across Delhi
Security restrictions affected several parts of the capital, with barricades erected along major roads and checks conducted at border points, railway stations, bus terminals, hotels and other sensitive locations.
Police detained demonstrators at multiple locations, including Akashwani Bhawan, Hanuman Temple, Safdarjung Flyover and Kerala House.
According to the report, some protesters threw stones at security personnel after jumping barricades near Akashwani Bhawan. A similar incident was reported near Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place later in the day. Seven security personnel sustained injuries during the incidents, including Deputy Commissioner of Police Anant Mittal, who injured his hand.
A senior police officer said authorities were likely to register multiple first information reports in connection with the alleged assaults on police personnel.
The report also said police monitored social media activity linked to the proposed demonstration, while more than 200 content creators were reportedly under scrutiny.
Opposition Leaders Condemn Detentions
Several opposition leaders criticised the security measures and the detention of demonstrators.
Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal described the clampdown as “worse than the Emergency”. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the government of turning the country’s “mother of democracy” into a “muzzled democracy”.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged young people to continue protesting and criticised the ruling establishment. However, the Congress maintained its distance from the CJP-led demonstration, despite its separate protests over allegations of electoral irregularities.
Other leaders and activists detained included West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, former Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar, CPI-M general secretary M A Baby, Left leader Brinda Karat, activist Yogendra Yadav, lawyer Prashant Bhushan and All India Students’ Association president Neha Bora.
Several journalists also alleged that police detained them despite their press identification cards and seized their official phones before placing them on detention buses.
BJP Defends Police Action
The Bharatiya Janata Party criticised the planned demonstration and accused opposition leaders of attempting to disrupt the capital.
BJP leader Sambit Patra described the outcome as a victory for democracy over “mob rule”. Party president Nitin Nabin accused Rahul Gandhi, Kejriwal and the CJP of attempting to destabilise the country with alleged foreign backing.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also criticised opposition leaders, saying the capital would not be held hostage by the protest.
The BJP’s comments came as opposition parties questioned the scale of the security deployment and the decision to detain people attempting to join the demonstration.
Sonam Wangchuk Considers Protest if Detainees Remain in Custody
Activist Sonam Wangchuk said he would consider organising a peaceful demonstration, potentially including a hunger strike or march in Leh or Delhi, if the detainees were not released within 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the CJP said its protest would continue across the country despite the detention of its leadership.
The planned demonstration sought to pressure Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign over allegations concerning electoral rolls and voter registration procedures. The detentions and extensive security arrangements prevented the planned mobilisation at Jantar Mantar from taking place as intended.
Source: Rediff, PTI report edited by Utkarsh Mishra.
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