Security personnel run towards demonstrators to disperse them during a protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral roll irregularities, at Connaught Place, in New Delhi, Saturday, October 10. PTI
Delhi protests LIVE | Over 7,000 detained; CJP: Will march to Jantar Mantar again on Sunday
SC to hear special petition tomorrow on Delhi curbs; police go on detention spree to stop anti-CEC protests
Delhi turned into a veritable battle zone—as well as a prison zone for the Opposition—on Saturday (October 10), when several INDIA bloc leaders, including four former chief ministers—TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, CPM veteran Pinarayi Vijayan, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, and Manik Sarkar, were detained for trying to join the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) anti-CEC protest call at Jantar Mantar.
Apart from Mamata and Pinarayi, Delhi Police have detained over 7,000 people including CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, CJP's Ratna Singh, Sourav Das and many journalists and content creators.
Senior Left leaders like MP John Brittas and MA Baby, along with Pinarayi, were taken to Chhatrasal Stadium briefly before reportedly being driven around in a police jeep, Brittas alleged. They were later taken to Mandir Marg Police Station. Veteran Left leader Brinda Karat, CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, activist Yogendra Yadav and lawyer Prashant Bhushan were also among those detained.
Also read: Meet the faces of India’s Gen Z protest movement
Kejriwal was detained outside his Lodhi Estate residence while marching towards Jantar Mantar with AAP leaders and workers. The party leaders detained with him included Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh, Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj, MLA Kuldeep Kumar and national media in-charge Anurag Dhanda. Senior AAP leader Gopal Rai was also detained while protesting at the party office.
Dipke detained from aircraft
Mamata and other TMC MPs were detained from South Avenue, while many journalists trying to cover the protests were allegedly detained along with the Opposition leaders. Tushar Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi's great-grandson, was reportedly detained in Mumbai.
Also read: ‘Undeclared Emergency’: Opposition leaders slam Modi govt over detentions in Delhi
Dipke's detention was dramatic. A Delhi Police team boarded the aircraft carrying him after it landed in Delhi and detained him. Dipke went live on Instagram as the officers entered the plane. The video shows the police team boarding the flight, and Dipke, along with fellow CJP members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, being detained on board.
A defiant Dipke said CJP's Ajinkya Shinde would lead the Jantar Mantar protest, while AISA chief Neha Bora launched a protest in Dilli Haat along with other activists. Neha was alsod detained soon afterwards. After days of intense protests, Congress was missing in action as Rahul Gandhi left for Chennai for his prescheduled Chhatron ki Goonj event.
Jantar Mantar wears a deserted look
Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site, wore a deserted look throughout the day, with the deployment of over 30,000 security personnel and waves of barricades in Lutyens' Delhi to keep the protesters away from the area.
Opposition parties likened the situation to one worse than the Emergency, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urging the youth to "keep protesting" and asserting that "we are going to ensure that this regime and the people who have attacked the Constitution are defeated".
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge lashed out at the Modi government over the detentions by Delhi police, saying it has turned the "mother of democracy" into a "muzzled democracy". The Congress chief alleged that the cowardice of the BJP-RSS is on full display today.
The Congress, which has been holding protests demanding the resignation of the CEC over alleged vote theft, however, maintained its distance from the CJP protest.
CJP to march to Jantar Mantar again tomorrow
On Saturday evening, CJP said it was not "backing down" and announced that it will march to Jantar Mantar again tomorrow (October 11).
"The Modi government fears that if we unite again, their throne will be at stake. But we’re not backing down. We will march to Jantar Mantar again tomorrow and stay there until all our demands are met," CJP said.
Read live updates here.
Live Updates
- 10 Oct 2026 11:00 AM IST
CJP claims founder Abhijeet Dipke, 2 leaders detained at Delhi Airport
The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) claimed that its founder Abhijeet Dipke and co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained upon landing at Delhi airport.
The alleged detentions come ahead of the party’s planned protest at Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of voter-list manipulation linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Tension unfolded at Delhi’s IGI Airport after Delhi Police personnel entered an Air India aircraft carrying Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke and his team, minutes after the flight landed.
Dipke, who had said he was ready to face arrest ahead of his arrival in the capital, stood his ground as police personnel approached the group.
“I was prepared for arrest. Main kisi se darta nahin hoon (I'm not afraid of anybody),” he said.
- 10 Oct 2026 10:53 AM IST
Malayalam journalists detained
What a Kerala journalist says:
“We were filming the protest when we were detained. We showed the police our press ID cards, but they refused to listen. Even the women police personnel in the van did not know where we were being taken.”
Roshni Rajan, journalist, Reporter TV (Malayalam channel)
- 10 Oct 2026 10:50 AM IST
2 anarchic groups behind protests, says BJP
BJP national president Nitin Nabin said at a press briefing that the CJP and the INDIA bloc are “anarchic groups” that are creating a “highly dangerous and serious situation in the country.”
“There are two anarchic groups: one led by Rahul Gandhi of the ‘INDIA Alliance,’ and the other led by Arvind Kejriwal’s associates, CJP,'' he said.
- 10 Oct 2026 10:44 AM IST
Pinarayi Vijayan slams Centre, Gyanesh
Senior CPM leader and former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan says: “This is a fight to restore our democracy. This government is killing democracy, and Gyanesh Kumar is working for it. That is why they are protecting him. Wherever the SIR has taken place, we have witnessed this kind of situation. Everyone who believes in democracy is supporting these protests. An anti-democratic government cannot be allowed to carry on like this.”
Pinarayi Vijayan has been detained at Kerala House in New Delhi.
- 10 Oct 2026 10:26 AM IST
Rahul Gandhi: ‘Gyanesh Kumar, this government will go’
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday predicted that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the government would leave office, saying efforts to restore democracy would follow.
In a post on X, Rahul wrote, “Gyanesh Kumar will go. This government will go. Then the process of repairing democracy will begin.”
- 10 Oct 2026 10:23 AM IST
CJP issues 12-point advisory urging peaceful protest
The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has issued a 12-point advisory for its planned protest, asking participants to remain peaceful, avoid confrontations and refrain from damaging public or private property.
The outfit has urged demonstrators not to carry weapons or dangerous objects, threaten anyone, block emergency services or attempt to breach police barricades. It has also warned against hate speech and asked participants to stay alert to attempts to provoke violence.
The advisory calls on protesters to report any efforts to incite unrest to CJP coordinators or the police, provided it is safe to do so. Participants have also been asked to check information before sharing it and record incidents responsibly.
The party advised those attending to carry identification, essential medicines and fully charged mobile phones. It also asked protesters to follow lawful instructions from the police and help others move to safety if tensions escalate.
“No individual can be allowed to hijack a peaceful protest. Our conduct must reflect our cause,” the party said in its briefing as quoted by India Today.
CJP reiterated that the demonstration should uphold peaceful protest, constitutional rights and responsible citizenship.
- 10 Oct 2026 10:17 AM IST
Delhi Police detains CPI(M) leaders M A Baby, Pinarayi Vijayan
Senior CPI(M) leaders, including M A Baby and Pinarayi Vijayan, have been blocked in front of Kerala House by Delhi Police. They were later taken into custody. They were dragged to the police van.
- 10 Oct 2026 10:12 AM IST
CJP calls Dhruv Rathee’s detention ‘dictator’s fear’ of youth
The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) condemned the detention of YouTuber Dhruv Rathee on Saturday, accusing the government of being afraid of young people who question its actions.
Minutes after Rathee was detained in Gurugram, the party wrote on X, “Dhruv Rathee has been detained. The Dictator is TERRIFIED of young people who question its wrongdoings and refuse to stay silent!"
Police teams had reached Rathee’s residence at Kendriya Vihar society in Sector 56, Gurugram, ahead of the planned CJP protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.
- 10 Oct 2026 9:55 AM IST
Internet shutdown disrupts media coverage of CJP protest in Delhi
The internet shutdown has also disrupted reportage from the ground, with police stopping media personnel from going anywhere near the JantarMantar. Malayalam television journalists covering the protests have been relying on a Wi-Fi connection arranged by Kerala MPs at Kerala House in New Delhi to continue their live coverage.
“The internet ban is hampering our reporting as well. Kerala MPs have arranged a Wi-Fi connection at Kerala House, and we Malayalam media journalists are using it for our live coverage. We were not even allowed to get to the Kerala House in the morning. Later after some MPs intervened and we were allowed to enter the premise,” a television journalist said.
- 10 Oct 2026 9:52 AM IST
YouTuber Dhruv Rathee detained ahead of CJP protest: Report
YouTuber Dhruv Rathee has been detained by Gurugram Police after he refused to follow instructions not to travel to Delhi for the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) planned protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, Hindustan Times reported.
Police teams reached Rathee’s residence at Kendriya Vihar society in Sector 56, Gurugram, ahead of Saturday’s demonstration at Jantar Mantar in the national capital.
The report further stated that a senior Gurugram Police official had earlier said that officers were asking Rathee not to travel to Delhi to join the protest.
“In case he denies and tries to travel to Delhi, he will be detained,” the official had said.
Rathee’s detention comes amid heightened security across Delhi ahead of the CJP demonstration. The party has called for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
Authorities have imposed restrictions around key locations in the capital and deployed security personnel ahead of the planned gathering.
