Kejriwal detained amid Delhi protest

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was detained on Saturday (October 10) as police cracked down on protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in voter-list revisions.

Kejriwal was detained while attempting to march towards Jantar Mantar, where the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) had planned a demonstration. The protesters accused election authorities of manipulating voter lists to benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), allegations denied by the BJP and the Election Commission.

Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Kerala opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan were also among those detained. Police detained CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka after their flight arrived in Delhi, according to media reports.

Authorities imposed extensive security restrictions across the capital, deploying thousands of police and paramilitary personnel, closing entry and exit gates at 45 metro stations and suspending mobile internet services in parts of central Delhi. The police had not granted permission for the planned rally.