Indian police detained thousands of people across New Delhi on Saturday and took the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) into custody aboard a passenger aircraft, as authorities moved to prevent a youth-led protest demanding the resignation of the country’s chief election commissioner.
Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the CJP, and two other party leaders, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were detained after their Air India flight from Mumbai landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Indian media reported. The party said the detentions were aimed at stopping its planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site in the capital.
The protest, dubbed “Jantar Mantar 2.0”, was called to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls. The allegations concern the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), an exercise that has become a source of political tension in India.
Police denied permission for the demonstration, citing security concerns and insufficient notice. The application was submitted on October 7, three days before the planned rally, despite a prescribed 10-day notice period, the Indian Express reported.
Dipke broadcast his detention from inside the aircraft on Instagram, challenging officers to arrest him. Police told him to cooperate, saying the action was preventive rather than an arrest, according to footage published by Indian media.
The detentions extended beyond the airport. Police also detained YouTuber Dhruv Rathee in neighbouring Gurugram and CJP legal cell head Ratna Singh outside her home in New Delhi, media reports said. Opposition politicians and activists were among those picked up as police sought to prevent demonstrators from reaching the protest venue.
By Saturday afternoon, the Indian Express reported that about 2,000 people had been detained, with many taken to stadiums and other temporary detention centres. The figure was substantially higher than earlier reports of around 500 detentions.
Authorities imposed extensive transport restrictions ahead of the rally. Entry and exit were suspended at 57 Delhi Metro stations, while about 245 trains serving major central Delhi terminals were cancelled, according to Indian media reports.
The security operation also involved a large deployment of police and paramilitary personnel, while restrictions on mobile internet access were reported in parts of the capital.
The crackdown highlights tensions over electoral oversight and the right to protest in the world’s most populous country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and the Election Commission have faced criticism from opposition parties over voter-roll revisions, which they say risk excluding eligible voters. The authorities have defended the electoral process, while disputes over the revisions have prompted protests and political confrontation.
The CJP said it would continue its campaign despite the detentions. With its senior leaders in custody, the movement handed responsibility for the protest to Ajinkya Shinde, according to Indian media reports.
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Mohd Hassan has extensive experience in news gathering, editing, and writing for the newswire industry, Contact – Info@impactnews-wire.com
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