Detentions of students and activists travelling to Delhi for the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)’s October 10 protest continued on Saturday, as police intensified preventive measures across the capital and other states.
The protest, called by the CJP and Left student organisations, including the All India Students’ Association (AISA), the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the All India Students’ Federation (AISF), was scheduled to take place at Jantar Mantar.
The protest was called as part of an ongoing agitation for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, over alleged irregularities in the election rolls following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), as well as the process. Delhi Police denied permission for the protest, citing concerns over law and order, public safety, and alleged violence during previous demonstrations.
According to various news reports, Delhi Police prepared a large-scale security operation involving police and paramilitary personnel, detention facilities and surveillance cameras. Authorities also sought restrictions at 57 Metro stations, while train cancellations and accommodation checks were reported ahead of the demonstration.
In addition, mobile internet services were suspended for 24 hours within a four-kilometre radius of the Janpath-Kartavya Path crossing. Hotels and accommodation providers were also reportedly asked to restrict bookings involving people suspected of travelling to participate in the protest.
The Delhi Police also issued advisories to citizens across various public spaces including mosques and market places, to not participate in “unnecessary protests”, The Print reports.
Nationwide preventive measures
The measures extended beyond the capital, with reports of state police taking preventive action against prospective participants. Police also sought to monitor travel to Delhi and engaged educational institutions and paying guest (PG) accommodation operators to discourage students from participating.
The Indian Express reported on October 10 that at least 1,000 people had been detained overnight ahead of the protest. Separately, protesters travelling to Delhi from various states also had their movement restricted by various state police, particularly in Madhya Pradesh.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were reportedly detained after arriving in Delhi from Mumbai this morning. CJP legal team head Ratna Singh and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee were also reported to have been detained ahead of the demonstration.
The Union Home Ministry also raised concerns about possible law-and-order disruptions and damage to public and private property. According to news reports, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan directed states and Union Territories to coordinate with Delhi Police, share intelligence and take preventive measures.
Police defends measures
The Delhi Police defended its decision to deny permission, citing the short notice for the October 10 event, alleged non-compliance with conditions imposed during earlier demonstrations, and concerns over public safety and traffic. Joint Commissioner of Police Nupur Prasad said that the application had been received on October 7, three days before the planned protest, whereas the applicable guidelines required an application at least 10 days in advance.
In a public statement released on its X account on October 9, the Delhi police defended its preventive measures against the CJP’s protest saying that over 200 police personnel were injured in the organisation’s July protest at Jantar Mantar. The statement also alleged that those protests also had “more than 2000 persons with criminal antecedents” who contributed to the violence. The statement added that Jantar Mantar, the venue of the protest, could hold only 1,000 at once, and the mass mobilisation by the CJP cannot be safely accommodated.
The Delhi police account has received criticism following the July 20 protests, over allegations of excessive force against protesters. The Supreme Court ordered a committee headed by former judge Justice R Subhash Reddy to examine allegations concerning police action during the protests. In an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court in August, the police alleged that protesters attempted to breach barricades and attacked personnel.
Political brickbats
The preventive actions and detentions by the Delhi police and the Ministry of Home Affairs received criticism from various Opposition leaders. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal described the crackdown as “absolute dictatorship”, while Indian National Congress (INC) National General Secretary Jairam Ramesh slammed the Union Government for turning Delhi “into a fortress”.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President Nitin Nabin, meanwhile, accused opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Kejriwal, of attempting to destabilise the country at the behest of foreign powers. He also alleged that the opposition was promoting disorder after being rejected by voters.