New Delhi: Several high-profile opposition figures and leading members of the Cockroach Janta Party were detained by the Delhi Police on Saturday ahead of a planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral roll irregularities.
Among those targeted were CJP founder and convener Abhijeet Dipke alongside co-conveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were intercepted and detained directly from inside their aircraft upon landing at the Delhi airport. Additional CJP figures, including Ratna Singh, were also rounded up by law enforcement.
Simultaneously, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Kerala branch reported via social media that several of its senior leaders had been taken into custody upon arriving at the Jantar Mantar demonstration site. The detained CPI(M) figures included MA Baby, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, MV Govindan Master, A Vijayaraghavan, KK Shailaja, Member of Parliament John Brittas, KN Balagopal, Brinda Karat, and PK Sreemathi.
Detentions extended beyond the capital as well. Activist Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, was taken into custody in Mumbai, while Manish Sisodia was detained in Chandigarh as authorities worked to curb the widespread mobilization.
In response to the anticipated large-scale turnout, the national capital was transformed into a heavily fortified zone. More than 40,000 personnel from the Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Forces were deployed to block protesters from reaching the designated rally point.
Jantar Mantar was completely sealed off, barring even media personnel from entering the area. Surrounding roadways were heavily barricaded and heavily manned by security forces. Authorities utilized public address systems at key entry and exit points to broadcast continuous warnings in both Hindi and English, cautioning citizens against participating in gatherings, processions, road blockades, and other activities prohibited under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.