Over 1,000 Detained as Delhi Police Crack Down on Protest Against CEC
Photo: Collected
Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel launched a citywide crackdown on Saturday to prevent a large demonstration demanding the resignation of India’s Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar. More than 1,000 protesters were detained, including several opposition leaders.
Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel launched a citywide crackdown on Saturday to prevent a large demonstration demanding the resignation of India’s Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar. More than 1,000 protesters were detained, including several opposition leaders.
The protest was organized by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), a youth-led party that mobilized thousands against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists, alleged irregularities in Form 6 voter registrations, and concerns over the independence of election authorities.
Major opposition parties, including the Indian National Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), CPI(ML) Liberation, Communist Party of India (Marxist), and several left-leaning student unions, backed the demonstration and its demands.
Police detained several prominent political leaders and activists in Delhi and nearby areas. CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke and co-conveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained by police inside their aircraft after it landed at Delhi airport from Mumbai. YouTuber and political commentator Dhruv Rathee was detained at his residence in Gurugram’s Sector 56 shortly after returning from abroad. Others detained included CPI(ML) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, AISA President Neha Bora, activist Yogendra Yadav, and lawyer Prashant Bhushan.
More than 30,000 police and paramilitary personnel were deployed across central Delhi. Authorities temporarily closed 45 metro stations and erected barricades along 30 major road stretches. Opposition leaders denounced the security measures as “worse than the Emergency.”
Police had denied permission for the rally at Jantar Mantar, but CJP leaders said protests would continue nationwide. Brief clashes broke out near Akashwani Bhawan on Imtiaz Ali Marg around 1:00 PM, after stones were thrown during the confrontation. Security personnel detained dozens of protesters.
According to Delhi Police, nearly 3,000 demonstrators detained during the CJP-led gathering were released by Saturday evening. Among those freed were former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Derek O'Brien, and other senior Trinamool Congress leaders, who had been detained while attempting to join the party's demonstration. Delhi Police also released AISA President and key movement figure Neha Bora, who confirmed her release in a post on X.
However, Delhi Police have yet to issue an official statement regarding the release or current status of CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, and Ashutosh Ranka, who were detained at the airport. Similarly, the Gurugram Police have offered no official word on the detention status or release of popular YouTuber Dhruv Rathee.
