New Delhi: A major confrontation unfolded across central Delhi as protesters from left-wing organizations, including the All India Students' Federation, staged demonstrations to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The agitations saw smaller groups of demonstrators gather at various locations, including directly outside the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters, where members held sit-in dharnas, shouted slogans, and formed human chains before police forces intervened to disperse them.
In response to the planned demonstrations, Delhi Police established a heavy security clampdown across the national capital. Authorities deployed extensive barricading, checkpoints, and paramilitary units, including Border Security Force personnel and surveillance drones, to block potential assembly routes toward Jantar Mantar and other central points.
Despite the strict prohibitions on gatherings, protesting students and independent demonstrators managed to breach security cordons around Pandit Pant Marg, Jantar Mantar, and Connaught Place. Visuals from the area captured multiple students being detained and removed from the scene in police buses after breaking through layers of barricades.
The widespread security measures and vehicular curbs severely impacted movement throughout New Delhi, with additional security checks implemented at entry points from neighboring cities like Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurgaon, alongside metro station closures. In Connaught Place, local businesses, eateries, and cafes kept their shutters down while security personnel maintained a heavy presence.
Authorities also detained leaders of the CJP, identified as Abhijeet Dipke, Saurabh Das, and Ashutosh Ranka, from inside an aircraft upon their arrival in the capital, transporting them to an undisclosed location.