Crackdown on oppn protest, 4000 detained in Delhi

NEW DELHI, Oct 10: Around 4,000 people were detained across the Capital on Saturday as police prevented a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at JantarMantar. Security restrictions affected train and Metro services, road movement and mobile internet, while senior Opposition leaders were among those detained. The INDIA bloc announced a fresh demonstration for Monday in Delhi.

Police sealed roads leading to JantarMantar and detained protesters at several locations before they could reach the venue. Many were taken in buses to temporary detention centres. Although the main gathering was prevented, smaller groups held demonstrations near DilliHaat and other parts of the city.

*    Many trains cancelled, metro stations restricted, road barricades block commuters
*    Supreme Court orders not to cause inconvenience to public
*    Crackdown on opposition protest an undeclared emergency: Wangchuk

Delhi Police said it had refused permission for the demonstration on security grounds.
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder AbhijeetDipke and organisersSaurav Das and AshutoshRanka were detained inside an aircraft after their arrival from Mumbai. YouTuber DhruvRathee was detained in Gurugram. Activist Yogendra Yadav, lawyer Prashant Bhushan and student leader Neha Bora were among those detained during attempts to march towards the protest site.

Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Kerala Chief Minister PinarayiVijayan were also detained. Mamata Banerjee was stopped along with Trinamool Congress MPs, while several Left leaders faced police action elsewhere.

The CJP condemned the detentions and said its agitation would continue. Dipke named AjinkyaShinde to lead the protest while he and other organisers were in detention.

The restrictions also affected people travelling through Delhi. The railways cancelled 245 trains connected to the capital, while entry and exit restrictions were imposed at dozens of metro stations. Road barricades and diversions delayed commuters across several areas.

Mobile internet was suspended in parts of central Delhi for 24 hours, leaving some passengers unable to use UPI or check travel updates. At New Delhi Railway Station, travellers struggled to make alternative arrangements as cancellation announcements continued.

Northern Railway later said services were moving towards normality and no further cancellations were planned. The Supreme Court had earlier urged authorities to avoid disproportionate inconvenience to the public while making security arrangements.

The demonstrations spread to Mumbai, where police detained Tushar Gandhi and other activists near August KrantiMaidan. Actor Imran Khan was also detained during a solidarity protest.

Activist SonamWangchuk described the crackdown as an "undeclared emergency" and warned of a hunger strike or march if detainees were not released by Sunday. 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.

Election Commission data show that about 130 million voter entries were removed during the verification exercise. Opposition parties allege that eligible voters were affected, while the Commission rejects wrongdoing and says those wrongly excluded can seek re-enrolment.

The BJP has dismissed allegations of electoral manipulation. Separately, 124 former civil servants issued an open letter defending the Election Commission and the SIR process, questioning allegations of vote rigging without credible evidence.

The INDIA bloc has called another protest for Monday, October 12, with plans for a march towards the Supreme Court. Banerjee has indicated that she may join the march.

The CJP, meanwhile, has said Saturday's detentions will not end its campaign against the Election Commission.�"Z NEWS