Around 7,000 people were detained across Delhi on Saturday as police and Central forces enforced a citywide lockdown announced the previous night to prevent the Cockroach Janta Party’s planned protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Police sealed off Jantar Mantar before the demonstration could begin, barricaded key roads and shut 45 Metro stations until the evening, disrupting movement across several parts of the capital. Trains were also stopped during the operation, while protesters, opposition leaders, journalists and people who said they were bystanders were taken to detention centres.
The protest was organised by the CJP, which had held demonstrations at Jantar Mantar in June and July over alleged examination paper leaks. That earlier mobilisation continued for several days and ended after Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned, according to The Indian Express report on Saturday’s events.
The party’s leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained after arriving in Delhi from Mumbai at about 10.20 am. Police entered the aircraft and took the three leaders to separate, undisclosed locations. In a video released later, Dipke said Ajinkya Shinde, the party’s national organisation in-charge, would lead the movement. Shinde subsequently called for another march to Jantar Mantar at 10 am on Sunday.
Several opposition leaders were also detained. Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was detained outside her Delhi residence, while former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was taken into custody outside his Lodhi Estate residence along with AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Saurabh Bharadwaj. Pinarayi Vijayan, former Kerala chief minister and Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, was taken to Chhatrasal Stadium. Former Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar and other Left leaders were also detained.
Students’ organisation AISA leader Neha, activist Yogendra Yadav and advocate Prashant Bhushan were detained near Dilli Haat. Neha said on social media around 7 pm that she had been released. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk had earlier said he could begin a hunger strike or a padayatra if Neha and others were not released by Sunday. YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, who had come to India ahead of the protest, was picked up from his home in Gurugram’s Sector 56 and taken to a Crime Branch office, according to police sources cited by The Indian Express.
As the lockdown continued, groups of 100 to 150 people staged flash protests at Dilli Haat, the Safdarjung flyover, Raj Ghat and Connaught Place. They were also detained. The day saw no large-scale violence comparable to the July 20 march towards Parliament, although stones were thrown at a bus carrying detained protesters near Jhandewalan. Police said six personnel, including a woman member of the Pink Force, were injured while detaining protesters.
The CJP’s demand follows a report by The Indian Express last month that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected on record 14 times in 10 months to actions taken by the Election Commission under Gyanesh Kumar. The objections reportedly concerned issues including the sharing of information with the commissioners and the addition and deletion of voter names.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta defended the restrictions, saying Delhi would not be held hostage and that the government would fight what she described as the spread of anarchy under the guise of democracy. Opposition leaders condemned the detentions and said the restrictions amounted to a crackdown on democratic protest. The CJP has announced another march to Jantar Mantar at 10 am on Sunday, while opposition parties have planned a march to the Supreme Court on Monday.
