NEW DELHI, Oct 10: Delhi witnessed an unprecedented security operation on Saturday as police detained more than 7,000 protesters, including Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leader Abhijit Dipke, four former chief ministers and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, to prevent a planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The designated protest venue remained largely deserted throughout the day as authorities deployed more than 30,000 police and paramilitary personnel across the national capital. Extensive barricading, transport restrictions and security checks were introduced at several locations to prevent demonstrators from assembling.
The crackdown triggered sharp reactions from opposition parties, which accused the government of suppressing democratic rights and compared the situation to the Emergency. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged young people to continue protesting, asserting that the opposition would work to defeat those who, he alleged, had attacked the Constitution.
Among those detained were former chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Pinarayi Vijayan of the CPI(M) and Manik Sarkar, also associated with the CPI(M). They were picked up from different locations while attempting to join the demonstration organised by the CJP.
“This has gone beyond an Emergency; it has become a Super Emergency,” Banerjee said, criticising the police action. Several detained leaders alleged that they were kept in police vehicles and driven around the city for hours.
Other prominent figures detained included CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby, veteran Left leader Brinda Karat, CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, activist Yogendra Yadav, lawyer Prashant Bhushan and All India Students’ Association (AISA) president Neha.
Speaking at an event in Chennai, Gandhi described “cowardice” as a core characteristic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The Congress, however, maintained its distance from the CJP-led demonstration, despite its separate campaign seeking the CEC’s resignation over allegations of electoral irregularities.
CJP Leaders Detained at Airport
Dipke and two other CJP leaders, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were detained by Delhi Police inside an aircraft shortly after it arrived from Mumbai. A video shared by the organisation showed Dipke telling the officers who entered the plane, “We are here to be arrested, come and arrest us.”
Police personnel reportedly informed the leaders that permission had not been granted for their proposed gathering at Jantar Mantar.
Dipke criticised the manner of his detention, saying the leaders were being treated like criminals. He also invoked former prime minister Indira Gandhi while alleging that the police action reflected dictatorial tendencies.
YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, who lives abroad and had travelled to participate in the demonstration, was detained from his residence in Sector 56 of Gurugram.
In a pre-recorded video released after his detention, Dipke said CJP in-charge Ajinkya Shinde would lead the proposed demonstration at Jantar Mantar. The organisation maintained that its campaign would continue across the country even if its senior leaders remained in custody.
Police also informed Dipke about the death of his 85-year-old paternal grandmother, Savitribai Shankarrao Dipke, who died at her home in Santuk Pimpri village in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district around 11.30 am following a prolonged illness. Officials offered assistance to facilitate his travel to his hometown on humanitarian grounds.
Clashes Leave Security Personnel Injured
Tensions escalated at several locations as groups of demonstrators attempted to breach police barricades. Around 1 pm, protesters allegedly threw stones at security personnel near Akashwani Bhawan on Imtiaz Ali Marg after crossing the barricades, injuring two police personnel. The protesters were subsequently detained.
A similar incident was reported in the evening near the Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place, where some demonstrators allegedly hurled stones at security personnel.
Seven personnel sustained injuries during the day’s detention operations, according to the report. Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Anant Mittal also suffered a hand injury while detaining Left leaders, including AISA president Neha.
A senior police officer said multiple first information reports (FIRs) were likely to be registered in connection with the alleged assaults on police personnel.
Security teams also detained protesters from locations including Safdarjung Flyover and Kerala House. At Jantar Mantar, police repeatedly announced that people and mediapersons should not assemble in groups. Officers also removed individuals who managed to reach the protest venue.
Capital Under Heavy Security
Large sections of central Delhi remained under tight security throughout Saturday. More than 120 companies of Central Armed Police Forces assisted the Delhi Police, with personnel stationed at strategic points across the city.
Authorities erected multiple layers of barricades, closed 45 metro stations and intensified checks at border crossings, railway stations, bus terminals, hotels and other sensitive locations. The restrictions disrupted traffic and affected movement across several parts of the capital.
Mock drills were conducted at various locations to assess security preparedness and emergency response arrangements. Officials also monitored social media platforms for messages encouraging people to participate in the demonstration. More than 200 content creators were reportedly under scrutiny as police examined online posts and communications connected with the planned gathering.
Liquor shops across Delhi were also closed as a precautionary measure. Commuters were advised to follow official announcements and plan their journeys in view of the restrictions.
Several journalists claimed they had been detained despite displaying their press identity cards. Reporters alleged that police personnel confiscated their official phones before taking them to detention buses alongside other demonstrators. Videos circulating on social media appeared to show journalists displaying their identification cards from inside the buses.
Opposition Accuses Government of Suppressing Dissent
Kejriwal, who had announced plans to attend the demonstration with his family, condemned the security arrangements and described them as worse than those imposed during the Emergency. Before his detention, he issued a “Delhi chalo” appeal, asking young people from across the country to gather in the capital and demand Kumar’s resignation over allegations of “vote theft”.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also criticised the government’s response, accusing it of turning the “mother of democracy” into a “muzzled democracy”. He said the action had exposed what he described as the cowardice of the BJP and RSS.
Gandhi, meanwhile, reiterated his call for continued public mobilisation, saying the opposition would work to defeat the government and those accused of undermining constitutional institutions.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk warned that he would consider launching a peaceful agitation, including a hunger strike or march in Leh or Delhi, if the detained protesters were not released within 24 hours.
Wangchuk had participated in an earlier 36-day CJP agitation at Jantar Mantar over the NEET paper leak issue. That campaign concluded on July 25 following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The movement had witnessed significant disorder during a march towards Parliament on July 20, when security personnel attempted to stop the demonstrators.
BJP Calls Protest a Flop Show
The BJP rejected the opposition’s allegations and described the demonstration as an unsuccessful attempt to disrupt normal life in the capital.
Party leader Sambit Patra said the proposed mobilisation had failed and termed the outcome a victory for democracy over what he called “mob rule”. He accused Gandhi of encouraging disorder and alleged that the Congress leader was acting in coordination with foreign powers, drawing a comparison with historical figure Mir Jafar.
BJP president Nitin Nabin also accused Gandhi, Kejriwal and the CJP of attempting to destabilise the country with foreign backing. He said the government would respond firmly to what he described as their improper intentions and asserted that BJP workers would oppose their efforts.
The ruling party held several press conferences during the day to counter the opposition’s criticism.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the capital would not be allowed to be held hostage. She accused Gandhi and Kejriwal of attempting to turn Delhi into a battleground with the support of what she described as their “B-Team”, referring to the CJP.
Despite the political confrontation and the extensive deployment of security forces, the authorities prevented the planned mass gathering at Jantar Mantar. The CJP, however, maintained that its campaign would continue nationwide, keeping the dispute over the Election Commission and the demand for the CEC’s resignation at the centre of the political debate.