Delhi saw extensive security restrictions on Saturday as protesters supporting the Cockroach Janta Party’s latest demonstration were prevented from reaching Jantar Mantar, with barricades, detentions and access controls imposed across the capital. Around 25,000 police and paramilitary personnel were deployed, while entry and exit restrictions were imposed at 45 metro stations.
The Delhi Police denied permission for the proposed demonstration, citing inadequate notice and concerns over compliance with rules during an earlier protest. Protesters were detained at different locations as security personnel blocked access to Jantar Mantar, where the gathering had been planned.
The demonstration was called to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of voter-list manipulation during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and alleged irregularities involving Form 6, the application used for voter registration. The allegations were presented by protesters and were not independently established in the report.
The action followed a July protest by the same party demanding the resignation of former Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities linked to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test. The July 20 march to Parliament drew political leaders, actors and members of the public. The agitation continued for more than a month before protesters dispersed after Pradhan’s resignation.
Participants who had attended the earlier demonstration said they returned with masks, swimming goggles, raincoats and loose clothing, anticipating possible police action. Some prepared posters and digital artwork focusing on alleged illegal detentions and the absence of name tags on police personnel. Their accounts were reported by Millennium Post and were not independently verified in the supplied report.
The heavy deployment and movement restrictions also affected journalists. Several journalists were detained, with some alleging that they were taken into custody despite displaying press identity cards. The report does not provide the total number of people detained or details of any formal charges.
With Jantar Mantar largely inaccessible, protesters said information about meeting points and timings circulated mainly through social media. Some participants gathered at different locations, carrying Indian flags and posters with messages including “You can stop us, not democracy” and “Gyanu, it’s done bro”.
The reported restrictions placed Delhi’s protest-management system and public transport network at the centre of the operation. By limiting access to a designated demonstration site and restricting entry and exit at dozens of metro stations, authorities affected both protesters and other commuters moving through the capital. The supplied report does not state when the metro restrictions were lifted or whether the police issued a subsequent update on the detentions.
