New Delhi, October 2026 : Around 1,000 protesters were detained across the national capital on Saturday as they attempted to participate in an agitation organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, police said.
Security was significantly strengthened across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), particularly along border areas, as authorities moved to prevent demonstrators from reaching Jantar Mantar, the proposed venue for the protest.
The security measures also disrupted public transport. Indian Railways cancelled or rescheduled several trains scheduled to arrive in New Delhi, while the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) closed entry and exit facilities at 45 metro stations amid efforts by Delhi Police to restrict the movement of protesters.
Delhi Police had announced on Friday that permission for the CJP's demonstration had been denied. Officials cited the organisers' alleged failure to comply with legal directions and undertakings given during an earlier protest.
Earlier on Saturday, CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained at the Indira Gandhi International Airport while travelling to attend the demonstration. Police personnel reportedly entered their aircraft after it landed and took the leaders into custody.
Dipke shared a video of the incident on social media, in which he was heard telling police officers, “I have come here to be arrested; arrest me.”
The CJP subsequently announced the detention of the three leaders through a post on its social media account.
Social media influencer Dhruv Rathee was also reportedly detained at his residence in Gurugram. According to the CJP, around 50 police personnel in plain clothes reached his residence at approximately 8 a.m. and took him into preventive custody.
Several Opposition leaders were also detained during protests against the CEC. Those reportedly taken into custody included Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, party leader Gopal Rai and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The demonstrations centred on allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Protesters demanded Kumar's resignation, raising concerns over the voter-list revision process.
The large-scale deployment of security personnel, transport restrictions and reported detentions marked an extensive security operation across the capital as authorities sought to prevent the unauthorised gathering from escalating.
