Delhi protests LIVE | Over 7,000 detained; CJP: Will march to Jantar Mantar again on Sunday

Jantar Mantar remains clear: Delhi DCP

The Jantar Mantar area remained clear of protesters on Saturday, police said, with the New Delhi DCP sharing a video to counter claims circulating on social media that a large number of people had gathered at the protest site.

The 37-second video showed the area without any protesters, debunking claims of a gathering at the venue amid heightened security in the national capital over the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) proposed protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Police had made elaborate security arrangements to prevent protesters from reaching Jantar Mantar and detained over 3,000 protesters in different parts of New Delhi district.

6 Delhi Police personnel injured during detention of protesters

Six Delhi Police personnel, including a female member of the Pink Force, sustained injuries during the detention of around 1,000 protesters in different parts of New Delhi district on Saturday, with instances of stones being hurled at the security personnel at at least two places, an officer said.

The injured personnel were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment, the officer said, adding that the circumstances in which they were injured are being ascertained.

Suman, a member of the Pink Force, told PTI that her finger got fractured while she was detaining protesters near the Hanuman temple at Commaught Place.

"A protest was taking place near the Hanuman temple, where a crowd of around 100 to 150 people had gathered. We detained the protesters, during which some women twisted my finger, resulting in a fracture," she said.

She added that the women were detained. "But I cannot identify who specifically twisted my finger as it is difficult to pinpoint an individual in a large crowd. Peace and order must be maintained. People should refrain from protests that create unrest or tarnish the country's image. India is recognised globally, and what happens here is discussed internationally," she said.

"I would appeal to everyone not to organise such protests or create unrest. Despite my injuries, or those suffered by any other security personnel, we will not be deterred from performing our duty towards the nation," Suman told the news agency.

Delhi will not be held hostage; CJP 'B-Team' of AAP, Congress: CM Rekha Gupta

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday asserted that the capital will not be held hostage and accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal of trying to turn the city into a "battleground", in league with their "B-Team" CJP.

An unprecedented police presence at Jantar Mantar foiled the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) bid to gather protesters at the site to demand resignation of Chief Electoral Officer (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. CJP convener Abhijeet Dipke and top leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained at Delhi airport on their arrival from Mumbai.

Gupta in a post on X alleged that Gandhi and Kejriwal, rejected by the people, sought to turn Delhi into a battleground in collusion with their "B-Team".

"Why are these leaders so hell-bent on venting frustration of their nonstop defeats on the public? What offense have residents of Delhi committed to be tormented by the chaos on the streets?" Gupta wrote.

She asserted that the politics of spreading anarchy in the guise of democracy and challenging public mandate, will be fought resolutely. She also hit out at AAP convener Kejriwal accusing him of trying to disrupt safety and peace in Delhi for his "political self-interest".

Kejriwal and several leaders of his party, were detained after he tried to march to Jantar Mantar to protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the functioning of the Election Commission and Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

CJP protest 'flop show'; defeat of 'mobocracy', says BJP

The protest meant to take the city "hostage" turned out to be a "flop show", the BJP said on Saturday, accusing Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi of spreading anarchy in cahoots with foreign powers, likening him to Mir Jafar.

It was a victory of democracy over "mob rule", BJP leader Sambit Patra said, as hundreds of youths and several politicians who headed to Jantar Mantar were detained by Delhi Police.

Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, on the other hand, alleged that the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) had called the protest to do "shadow boxing" for the Aam Aadmi Party but the Indian democracy destroyed their "quest for anarchy".

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in Delhi, Patra called Gandhi a "nalayak" leader, condemning his Friday remarks that President Droupadi Murmu did not deny the INDIA bloc's "vote chori" allegation at a meeting.

Rahul with his "baseless" remarks after meeting with President Murmu on Friday proved that he is not competent to hold the position of the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, Patra charged.

"What is happening at Jantar Mantar and what is being shown on TV and across various social media handles does not represent the true story of India. India is peaceful, and India is moving forward with good governance," Patra said

He alleged an attempt to hold the capital and whole of India hostage through the protests.

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Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday alleged that the BJP operates by "suppressing" voices and silencing people.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he said the government should listen to the voice of people.

Shivakumar was reacting to the restrictions imposed on protestors in New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar where various civil society organisations under the banner of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).

“They (BJP) always suppress us, they suppress you, and they suppress everyone. They try to silence everyone and every voice, ignoring the Constitutional provisions. That is the way they operate. They are doing it in that manner,” the Chief Minister said.

Despite barricades and diversions, protesters make their way to protest site in Delhi

Two hours on a scooty, a long walk from Nizamuddin after an auto ride, and a cab journey that went round in circles before finally dropping its passenger near the protest site -- people found different ways to reach central Delhi on Saturday, determined to raise their voices against alleged irregularities in voter rolls.

With roads leading to New Delhi barricaded, vehicles stopped or diverted and several metro stations shut, reaching the protest site at Jantar Mantar proved difficult for many. Buses continued to ply in parts of the city, but vehicles were not allowed into several areas of New Delhi.

At Tolstoy Marg, where the road leading towards Jantar Mantar was barricaded, a group of protesters who had managed to reach the spot stood around, occasionally breaking into slogans. As police personnel approached to detain them, some tried to run, only to be caught up in another round of detentions.

Meer, who travelled from Sarita Vihar on a scooty, said the journey had taken two hours and he had to park about three kilometres from the spot.

"We are the youth of this country. If we don't come, who will?" he said, explaining why he had made the effort despite the restrictions.

Safhana, a Delhi University student who lives in Laxmi Nagar, said she reached the area in an auto around 6 am, carrying food, water and other essentials.

She had come with eight others. Three women from their group were detained, she said, adding that they had managed to contact them but did not know which police station they had been taken to.

"We ran," she said, describing the moments when protesters tried to evade the police.

Altamas, who claimed to be a student of Jamia Millia Islamia University, said he travelled through narrow lanes in an auto before being dropped near Nizamuddin. From there, he walked for around two hours to reach the protest area.

"During British rule, we read about repression. Today, we are witnessing how repressive it can be," he said.

He said he had come not for himself but for the country, invoking former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's words that “governments will come and go, but the country must endure”.

"People must continue to believe in institutions," he said, stressing the importance of universal adult franchise.

For 21-year-old Harshit, the issue was also personal. He said he had applied for a voter ID card but was told he could not get one because of an address-related issue.

He took a cab from the AIIMS area, but the driver kept taking detours before bringing him towards the protest site. The driver did not take payment immediately and asked him to pay after reaching home, Harshit said.

"We were sitting peacefully, but we were asked to move," he said, recalling how protesters were removed from the spot. He added that he had attended earlier protests as well.

The restrictions also affected people who were not participating in the demonstration.

A woman working with MTNL said she had walked from New Delhi to reach her workplace. She was on duty on the second Saturday of the month and had to report for essential services work.

While she was stopped at an intersection of Janpath and Connaught Place, where she walked from the New Delhi Railway Station for around 1.5 -2 kilometres, she was later allowed to go.

At Connaught Place, Nilesh Navlakha, a filmmaker from Pune, said he had travelled to Delhi because he felt he should witness what he believed was a historic moment.

Navlakha, who arrived on Friday evening and was staying at a hotel, said he had also been present at the June 6 protest.

"The atmosphere that day and today is different. After the last success, people are motivated. The government is tough," he said.

He expressed concern over the closure of several metro stations and said he expected people to return if the protest continued the next day.

Among those detained from Connaught Place was Bharatiya Kisan Union national general secretary Yudhvir Singh, along with other protesters.

Not everyone who reached central Delhi had come with an organised group or a political affiliation.

Suraj said he came with his father, who had kept his shop closed for the day, and was watching the protest unfold.

Lakhan, who travelled from Narela on his bike, said he had reached Connaught Place in the morning after dropping his mother at work. He said he had noticed restrictions on larger vehicles along the way.

"I am neither with the CJP nor the BJP. The question is, what response is being given when people raise their voices?" he said.

"The public is hungry. Answer their questions," he said, adding that people were more vulnerable to detention when they moved in groups.

He also acknowledged the position of the police. "They are also like our parents. They have to maintain law and order," he said.

Another protester, who said he had taken leave from work to attend the demonstration and had lived in Delhi since 1984, spoke of friends who had not received voter ID cards despite having lived in the city for years.

He said his friends had voted between 2000 and 2026 but were now worried they might not be able to vote in the next election because their names were missing from the electoral rolls.

"They are asking for our grandfathers' and great-grandfathers' identity documents," he said, describing the difficulties faced by people trying to establish their eligibility.

As police personnel moved in to detain protesters, one man was seen running away from the spot. "If they detain me, I will ask them to take me to Mathura," he joked. PTI

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