Hundreds of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) volunteers, along with other citizens and workers, were taken from different parts of Delhi to Chhatrasal Stadium in Model Town on October 10 and held inside the sports complex, according to people present at the venue and a report by The Hindu. Buses carrying the group were taken directly into the stadium premises as security personnel maintained control of movement inside the ground.
The people brought to the stadium were reportedly being held amid a wider security clampdown in the capital. Hours after their arrival, no formal administrative process had begun, leaving many waiting inside the venue, according to the report. The account did not identify a detention order or specify how long those brought to the stadium would remain there.
The use of Chhatrasal Stadium as a holding location has turned a public sports facility into a temporary site for managing people picked up from multiple locations. The stadium is located in Model Town and is ordinarily used as a major sporting venue. The buses carrying the group entered the premises rather than stopping outside, according to the report.
People inside the venue said security personnel were primarily carrying out transit and guarding duties. Force was reportedly used to prevent movement, running or group mobilisation within the stadium, although those present said there were no physical beatings. Slogans continued to be raised periodically inside the ground.
“All are here because the system wants us silenced, but holding thousands in a stadium doesn’t break our resolve,” Vijay Mallangi, one of those held, said, referring to the security clampdown. The statement was made from inside the stadium, where the group remained under security supervision.
The report did not provide details of the legal basis for bringing the volunteers and other citizens to Chhatrasal Stadium, the number of people held, or the authorities responsible for initiating the action. It also did not record a response from the Delhi Police or the stadium administration. The immediate next step was expected to be the beginning of a formal administrative process for those brought to the venue.
