Mass Detention of Protesters in Delhi Amid Electoral Roll Controversy
Protests and Detentions in Delhi
A stray dog walks along an empty corridor at Connaught Place amid security restrictions and closure of shops during the protest call
New Delhi, Oct 10: On Saturday, over 7,000 individuals, including notable opposition figures, activists, and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, were apprehended throughout Delhi as authorities executed an extensive security operation to thwart a planned mass gathering at Jantar Mantar. This protest aimed to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar due to alleged discrepancies in electoral rolls.
Among those detained were former chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, Pinarayi Vijayan, and Manik Sarkar, alongside Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leader Abhijit Dipke and various Left leaders. The protest, organized by the CJP against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, was effectively suppressed by a significant presence of security forces and extensive barricading throughout the capital.
Jantar Mantar, the designated site for protests, remained mostly empty as over 30,000 police and paramilitary personnel were stationed across Delhi. Reports indicated that more than 2,000 individuals were detained specifically in the New Delhi area.
The extensive restrictions prompted strong reactions from opposition leaders, who likened the circumstances to the Emergency period and accused the government of stifling democratic expression.
Kejriwal was taken into custody outside his Lodhi Estate residence while attempting to march towards Jantar Mantar with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members. Footage shared by the party depicted police officers carrying him towards a police bus as supporters tried to intervene.
AAP leaders Sanjay Singh, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Kuldeep Kumar, and Anurag Dhanda were also detained, while senior party figure Gopal Rai was apprehended during a protest at the party headquarters.
Prior to his arrest, Kejriwal called on the youth to protest against alleged electoral fraud, urging them to transform the entire country into a Jantar Mantar.
Mamata Banerjee was detained along with Trinamool Congress leaders from South Avenue after being blocked from reaching the protest site. During her sit-in, she wore a band-aid over her mouth and described the situation as worse than the Emergency.
“This has gone beyond an Emergency; it has become a Super Emergency,” she stated, emphasizing that the protest's message was to “Save India and Save Democracy.”
Vijayan and former Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar were also detained alongside CPI(M) leaders and other Left activists as they tried to join the protest. Several leaders were apprehended outside Kerala Bhawan, while Sarkar was taken into custody with trade union leaders and student activists at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Bawana.
CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby, veteran Left leader Brinda Karat, CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, activist Yogendra Yadav, lawyer Prashant Bhushan, and All India Students’ Association president Neha were among those detained.
The CJP claimed that its leaders Dipke, Saurav Das, and Ashutosh Ranka were detained immediately upon their arrival in Delhi from Mumbai. Police allegedly informed them that they did not have permission to protest at Jantar Mantar.
In a video released by the party, Dipke accused the police of preventing their disembarkation, labeling the action as dictatorial. The party demanded the immediate and unconditional release of its leaders. Police sources indicated that the three were taken to various locations in Delhi and Gurugram.
YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, who had returned to India to participate in the protest, was detained at his residence in Gurugram’s Sector 56.
The security operation involved over 120 companies of Central Armed Police Forces, extensive barricading, and the closure of 45 metro stations. Police also conducted checks at border points, railway stations, bus terminals, and hotels, while monitoring social media posts related to the planned gathering.
Tensions escalated at two locations during the day, with protesters reportedly throwing stones at security personnel near Akashwani Bhawan and Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place. Seven police officers were injured, including Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Anant Mittal.
Several journalists reported being detained despite possessing press identification cards, and their official phones were confiscated.
The ruling party dismissed the protest as a “flop show,” accusing the opposition of trying to incite chaos in the capital. The Congress party, which has separately called for the CEC’s resignation over alleged vote theft, distanced itself from the CJP-led protest.