Brief
Delhi police seal off Connaught Place as Gen‑Z protests face mass arrests
Nearly 30,000 officers block Connaught Place while authorities detain leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party and other Gen‑Z activists.
By Felo News Desk · Published
New Delhi – On Saturday morning, heavy police barricades surrounded Connaught Place, the historic square near Jantar Mantar, as authorities began detaining small groups of protesters arriving for demonstrations supporting the Gen‑Z‑led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Al Jazeera reported that the government deployed almost 30,000 personnel and imposed an internet shutdown, train cancellations and metro station lockdowns.
What happened
Police set up barriers around Connaught Place and started detaining protesters as they arrived. The founder of the CJP, Abhijeet Dipke, was met at New Delhi airport after flying in from Mumbai and was asked to call off the protest, which had been officially banned. CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were also detained upon landing, according to a movement statement. The government cancelled all trains to the capital on Friday, locked down more than 50 metro stations and sent personnel to warn students in local communities. Several students traveling from other states were taken off trains and buses, with many placed under house arrest in distant cities.
What the reports add
Al Jazeera noted that the crackdown echoes the 1975 Emergency under Indira Gandhi, with Dipke writing on X that "Narendra Modi just made EMERGENCY official." The outlet also quoted street sweeper Santosh Kumar, who said police were detaining "10; 50 more are coming" and warned that Modi would not stay until the 2029 elections. Neha Bora, president of the All India Students’ Association, likened the Modi government to British colonial forces and urged mass participation.
What was said
Dipke posted on X: "This intimidation is not going to work, Modi. The youth of this country are no longer scared of you." Santosh Kumar told Al Jazeera: "How can you stop these kids? They are detaining 10; 50 more are coming. Modi, the dictator’s time is up." Neha Bora called on the masses to join the protest, comparing the current crackdown to colonial repression.
How it came about
The protests stem from a dispute over a voter‑list revision that removed 130 million names, prompting calls for the resignation of election chief Gyanesh Kumar. Earlier this month, Rahul Gandhi backed similar Jantar Mantar protests, warning that force cannot silence questions. The current lockdown follows a series of police actions, including the detention of nearly 1,000 protesters at Jantar Mantar on Oct 2, as reported by Felo News.
Key facts
- Around 30,000 police were deployed in New Delhi to block Connaught Place. (aljazeera.com)
- Founder Abhijeet Dipke and leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained at the airport. (aljazeera.com)
- The government cancelled all trains to Delhi, locked down over 50 metro stations and shut down the internet. (aljazeera.com)
- Protesters are demanding the resignation of election chief Gyanesh Kumar over a voter‑list revision affecting 130 million people. (aljazeera.com)
- Street sweeper Santosh Kumar said police were detaining dozens of youths and warned Modi would not stay until 2029. (aljazeera.com)
Sources
- [1] aljazeera.com — originally reported as “‘How can you stop these kids?’ Indian capital on lockdown before protests”
