Brief
Delhi lockdown as police detain over 1,000 protesters and opposition figures
Police sealed off Jantar Mantar, cancelled trains and suspended mobile internet while rounding up members of the Cockroach Janta Party and other activists.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Police in New Delhi detained more than 1,000 protesters, opposition politicians, journalists, student union leaders, lawyers and founders of the “Cockroach” youth movement on Saturday, as the capital went into lockdown to prevent a planned demonstration demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
What happened
The satirical Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and other youth groups had announced a march to Jantar Mantar, the designated protest site in central Delhi, for Saturday. Security forces sealed the area before the rally began, deployed thousands of police and paramilitary personnel across the city, cancelled all trains to New Delhi, shut down more than 50 metro stations and suspended mobile internet services. Police also detained the CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and his associates Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka as their Air India flight landed from Mumbai.
What the reports add
Al Jazeera reported that the protesters accuse the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll to influence election results, alleging collusion between the party and the election commission, including Commissioner Kumar. The outlet noted that opposition parties claim the voter deletions affected recent state election outcomes won by the BJP.
What was said
BJP spokesman Sambit Patra dismissed the demonstrators as “anarchic elements”, saying, “Their flop show has been completely demolished… India is calm and going ahead under good governance,” as reported by Al Jazeera. Dipke posted a video on Instagram after his arrest, saying, “I have come to get arrested. I am not afraid of you guys.” In a separate video, Ranka addressed fellow passengers, describing the incident as “dictatorship where Delhi police has entered in the flight and trying to arrest us.”
How it came about
The protest was triggered by a revision of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) that the CJP and allied groups say unfairly removed millions of voters, prompting calls for Commissioner Kumar’s resignation. Earlier reports from Felo News documented the buildup, including the deployment of tens of thousands of security forces and the sealing of Connaught Place, as well as previous arrests of nearly 1,000 protesters at Jantar Mantar on 2 October.
Key facts
- More than 1,000 protesters and opposition figures were detained in New Delhi on 10 October 2026. (aljazeera.com)
- The city entered lockdown: trains cancelled, over 50 metro stations shut, and mobile internet suspended. (aljazeera.com)
- CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and associates were arrested on an Air India flight from Mumbai. (aljazeera.com)
- BJP spokesman Sambit Patra called the demonstrators "anarchic elements" and said India remains calm. (aljazeera.com)
- Protesters allege the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) was used to sway election results in favour of the BJP. (aljazeera.com)
Sources
- [1] aljazeera.com — originally reported as “India’s ‘Cockroach’ leaders detained; New Delhi in lockdown”
