Around 7,000 people were detained across the Capital on Saturday as police prevented a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar. The INDIA bloc announced a fresh demonstration for Monday in Delhi. Security restrictions affected train and Metro services, road movement and mobile internet, while senior Opposition leaders were among those detained.
It also cited the organisers’ application, filed on October 7, which did not meet the prescribed 10-day notice period.
Delhi Police said it had refused permission for the demonstration on security grounds. The CJP condemned the detentions and said its agitation would continue. Northern Railway later said services were moving towards normality and no further cancellations were planned. Activist Sonam Wangchuk described the crackdown as an “undeclared emergency” and warned of a hunger strike or march if detainees were not released by Sunday. The CJP, meanwhile, has said Saturday’s detentions will not end its campaign against the Election Commission.
Prohibitory orders were imposed in parts of central Delhi. Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan were also detained. Mamata Banerjee was stopped along with Trinamool Congress MPs, while several Left leaders faced police action elsewhere. Dipke named Ajinkya Shinde to lead the protest while he and other organisers were in detention. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta defended the restrictions, saying the city could not be held hostage by protests. The CJP is demanding Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and voter registration procedures.
The Supreme Court had earlier urged authorities to avoid disproportionate inconvenience to the public while making security arrangements.
