Brief
Opposition leaders detained during Delhi protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar
Banerjee, Kejriwal and Vijayan were taken into custody as they attempted to join a rally organized by the Cockroach Janata Party.
By Felo News Desk · Published
On Saturday, Delhi Police detained several senior opposition figures, including former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, as they tried to join a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
What happened
Banerjee and five Trinamool Congress MPs were stopped at South Avenue after police blocked their advance at a bus stop. Kejriwal was held at his residence, where police had been stationed since morning. Left‑wing leaders Vijayan, CPI(M) MP John Brittas and party secretary MA Baby were also taken into custody. All detainees were transferred to a detention centre at Chhatrasal Stadium.
What the reports add
The protest was called by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), which demands Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Earlier that day, CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained at Indira Gandhi International Airport while en route to Jantar Mantar.
What was said
Banerjee, speaking from inside a police bus, said the government was “misbehaving” with them and vowed the INDIA bloc would keep fighting to strengthen people’s voices. Kejriwal told reporters that police and paramilitary personnel were preventing people from leaving their homes and suppressing allegations of “vote chori” (vote theft). He urged young people to travel to Delhi to oppose what he called attempts to undermine democracy.
How it came about
The detentions occurred amid a series of CJP‑led demonstrations across the capital targeting the CEC’s handling of voter‑roll revisions, a theme also covered in Felo’s earlier reports on protests over Gyanesh Kumar.
Key facts
- Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal and Pinarayi Vijayan were detained by Delhi Police on Saturday. (gulfnews.com)
- The protest was organized by the Cockroach Janata Party demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. (gulfnews.com)
- Detained leaders were taken to a detention centre at Chhatrasal Stadium. (gulfnews.com)
Sources
- [1] gulfnews.com — originally reported as “Opposition Leaders Detained in Delhi Protest Against Election Chief Gyanesh Kumar”
