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 2:10 PM IST
AISA chief Neha Bora, activists protest at Dilli Haat
Neha Bora, national president of the All India Students' Association (AISA) along with other activists taking part in a protest at Dilli Haat.
- 10 Oct 2026 2:05 PM IST
SFI topples police barricades, AISA protesters detained in Delhi
Students’ Federation of India (SFI) workers toppled police barricades during a march in central Delhi on Saturday, as protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar intensified.
One protester alleged that police personnel assaulted him during the demonstration, reported India Today. The allegation comes amid a wider police crackdown on protesters attempting to assemble in the capital.
Separately, workers of the All India Students’ Association (AISA) and Left parties staged a demonstration outside the BJP headquarters in Delhi. Police detained several protesters and took them away in vehicles.
The demonstrations came amid heightened security across the capital over the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) protest against alleged electoral roll irregularities linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Police have erected barricades and detained protesters at several locations as authorities moved to restrict gatherings. Student groups and Left organisations have joined the protests, adding to the pressure on the administration over the handling of demonstrations.
- 10 Oct 2026 2:00 PM IST
Delhi Police SI injured amid clashes at CJP protest
A Delhi Police sub-inspector was injured amid clashes during the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, as police detained protesters in the capital on Saturday.
Sub-Inspector Bajrang Jadhav said he was hurt while trying to apprehend protesters.
“I was pushed while apprehending the rioters, this caused an injury,” Jadhav said when asked how he was injured.
Tensions rose as police moved to disperse groups gathered near Jantar Mantar, where the CJP had called for a protest over alleged electoral roll irregularities linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
The incident came amid a heavy security deployment across Delhi, with barricades and detentions reported at several locations as authorities sought to prevent protesters from assembling.
- 10 Oct 2026 1:57 PM IST
Delhi Police appeal to people not to hold protests at India Gate
Delhi Police say the situation is under control.
- 10 Oct 2026 1:53 PM IST
Supriya Sule condemns Dipke's detention; asks 'Is this undeclared Emergency?'
On the detention of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, NCP-SCP MP Supriya Sule told reporters in Mumbai, "I condemn this. A battle for constitutional principles is being fought within the framework of the Constitution in this country; these people were making their way to Delhi peacefully... What were their demands? They were simply going peacefully... the wrongful manner in which the police detained them is incorrect and unconstitutional."
She added, "I fear—is this an undeclared emergency? We all lived through the Emergency in this country... Today we see that we cannot even step outside. I am worried about the children... In a democracy, if children want to move about or express themselves, what is wrong with that?... The govt's responsibility is to listen, not to lathi-charge children. They are our children—yours, mine, and everyone's."
- 10 Oct 2026 1:50 PM IST
John Brittas: 'We are still being detained, driven around streets of Delhi for more than 3 hours'
“Strange things are happening. We are still being detained and driven around the streets of Delhi with veteran leader Pinarayi Vijayan. He is not even being allowed to take his medicines. After a brief stop at Chhatrasal Stadium, we have once again been taken into custody and are being driven around. The policemen in the vehicle say these are the instructions they have received. It has been more than three hours now," said CPI(M) MPJohn Brittas.
- 10 Oct 2026 1:34 PM IST
Two cops injured in stone throwing near Jantar Mantar, 50 held: Report
Two police personnel were injured after a group of protesters allegedly pelted them with stones near the Press Trust of India (PTI) building in Connaught Place, close to Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, on Saturday, police said, reported India Today.
Around 50 protesters had gathered at the spot when the incident took place. All of them have been taken into custody, according to the police.
The incident comes amid tight security across the national capital over the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Police have imposed extensive security restrictions around Jantar Mantar, with barricades and detentions reported at multiple locations as protesters attempted to assemble in the capital.
- 10 Oct 2026 1:27 PM IST
Neha Bora, Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan, Dipankar Bhattacharya plan Dilli Haat protest
Activists Neha Bora, Yogendra Yadav, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan and Dipankar Bhattacharya, National General Secretary of the CPI(ML)L gathered near AIIMS in Delhi on Saturday and planned to march towards Dilli Haat to stage a protest, as a sweeping police crackdown restricted access to Jantar Mantar.
The gathering came amid heightened security across the capital ahead of the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral roll irregularities linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Jantar Mantar and surrounding roads have been heavily barricaded, with police detaining protesters attempting to reach the designated protest site.
- 10 Oct 2026 1:24 PM IST
CJP names Ajinkya Shinde to lead Jantar Mantar protest
The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has named its organisation in-charge, Ajinkya Shinde, to lead its protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar while three of its leaders remain in detention.
In a post on X, the party said: “IMPORTANT Until Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka are in detention, CJP’s Organization In-Charge Ajinkya Shinde will lead this protest at Jantar Mantar.”
The party also said Dipke had recorded a video in advance, anticipating that he could be arrested.
“Abhijeet had pre-recorded this video last night in anticipation of a potential arrest,” the post said, sharing the announcement as the protest continued amid police action against demonstrators in the capital.
- 10 Oct 2026 1:19 PM IST
Delhi protest: G20-level forces deployed as CJP demands CEC exit
Central Delhi has been placed under a massive, unprecedented security lockdown ahead of a planned protest on October 10 by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and allied organizations demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Multi-layered police barricades, transit restrictions, and heavy security forces have cordoned off Jantar Mantar and surrounding central areas.
