GUWAHATI: Delhi Police detained Opposition leaders, activists and Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) members on Saturday, October 10, as authorities enforced extensive security restrictions ahead of a protest at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
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Several people were detained before they could reach the planned protest site and were taken away in buses and vans to stadiums and other temporary detention centres. Roads leading to Jantar Mantar were barricaded, and reporters said no protesters had reached the site by around 1.20 PM.
According to reports, around 2,000 people had been detained across the capital by 2.49 PM, while at least 1,200 people were detained overnight ahead of the demonstration.
Among those detained were Opposition leaders and activists, including Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, Pinarayi Vijayan, Neha Bora, Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan.
After police detained at least 200 people heading towards Jantar Mantar, activists called on supporters to regroup at Dilli Haat. AISA leader Neha Bora and Yogendra Yadav, who led the march from there, were detained along with Prashant Bhushan.
Mamata Banerjee and other Trinamool Congress leaders were detained outside her Delhi residence, while Kejriwal and Delhi AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj were detained near Jantar Mantar. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was taken to Chhatrasal Stadium, according to reports.
Dilli Haat market was also shut, with people shopping at the premises asked to leave. Protesters attempting to gather in small groups were reportedly chased away by police personnel.
The CJP condemned the detentions in a statement, describing them as a pre-planned move to prevent its leaders from reaching the protest site. The party called the action a violation of freedom of movement and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of those detained.
The party has been demanding Kumar's resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and issues concerning Form 6, which is used for voter registration.
Delhi Police had earlier denied permission for the demonstration, citing security concerns, inadequate notice and alleged violations of conditions during previous protests. The organisers had submitted their application on October 7, short of the prescribed 10-day notice period for demonstrations at Jantar Mantar.
Security arrangements across the capital included restrictions at around 45 Metro stations and the cancellation of more than 250 trains scheduled to arrive at New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations by 2 PM.
Internet services were also suspended for 24 hours within a four-kilometre radius of the Janpath-Kartavya Path crossing.
According to reports, around 14,000 police personnel, including 10,000 men and 4,000 women, were deployed for the protest. The deployment included Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Forces personnel, as well as forces from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. Other reports put the overall deployment of Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel at around 25,000.
Meanwhile, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke remained in detention after being picked up by Delhi Police upon arriving in the capital for the protest. On Saturday, his 85-year-old grandmother, Savitribai Shankar Dipke, died in Santuk Pimpri village in Maharashtra's Hingoli district.
Dipke's parents, Bhagwan and Anita, left for the village after receiving news of her death, according to reports.
The CJP-led demonstration was organised to demand Kumar's resignation over alleged irregularities in the electoral roll revision exercise. The Election Commission has maintained that major decisions concerning the SIR were taken unanimously by the full commission.
