A planned Cockroach Janta Party protest in Delhi demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar was disrupted on Saturday after Delhi Police denied permission, deployed heavy security and restricted entry and exit at 45 metro stations, according to a report by Millennium Post – Delhi.
The demonstration was expected to take place at Jantar Mantar over allegations of voter-list manipulation during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and irregularities involving Form 6, the document used for voter registration. Police cited inadequate notice and concerns about compliance with rules during an earlier protest while denying permission for the gathering.
Barricades and security personnel prevented protesters from reaching Jantar Mantar, while several people were detained at different locations. The report said around 25,000 police and paramilitary personnel were deployed across the capital. Several journalists were also detained, with some alleging that they were taken into custody despite displaying press identity cards.
The response reshaped how protesters organised themselves. Participants who had attended the party’s July demonstration prepared masks, swimming goggles, raincoats and clothes suitable for getting wet, anticipating possible police action. Some made physical posters at home, while others circulated digital political artwork focused on alleged illegal detentions and the absence of name tags on police personnel.
A protester identified as Hardik told the publication that he had prepared artwork and advice for participants ahead of the gathering. He said people were being advised to carry protective items and clothing in anticipation of a lathi charge. Other protesters said they had returned after taking part in the July 20 march to Parliament, which had called for the resignation of former Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged NEET irregularities.
That earlier agitation continued for more than a month and ended after Pradhan’s resignation, according to the report. For participants returning to the streets, however, the latest mobilisation was more difficult to coordinate. With Jantar Mantar largely inaccessible, updates circulated mainly through social media posts, leaving protesters uncertain about where and when to assemble.
One participant said that even small groups risked detention, while another argued that posters, artwork and physical presence could still communicate the protesters’ position if a large gathering was prevented. Posters seen at different locations included messages such as “You can stop us, not democracy” and “Nagrikta par hamla band karo”.
The restrictions also affected the city’s transport network. Limiting access at 45 metro stations created an additional layer of control around the planned demonstration, extending the security response beyond the protest venue and into the systems used by residents to move across Delhi. The supplied report did not provide details of the duration of the restrictions or the number of people detained.
The report said the party’s latest protest did not take shape on a large scale at Jantar Mantar. The immediate next steps for the organisers, police and detained protesters were not specified in the supplied account.
