Delhi: The national capital has been placed under an unprecedented security lockdown as authorities prepare for a planned demonstration by the Cockroach Janata Party, which is demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The Ministry of Home Affairs authorized a temporary mobile internet suspension within a four-kilometre radius around the Janpath-Kartavya Path intersection, directing major telecom providers to implement the blackout.
Security forces have deployed more than 20,000 police and paramilitary personnel, including Border Security Force units positioned along the Delhi-Noida border at the Chilla checkpoint. Authorities have also established 15 dedicated detention centres, closed 57 metro stations, cancelled select mail and express train services, and imposed restrictions on app-based taxis and local accommodations after denying formal permission for the gathering.
The sweeping measures drew scrutiny from the Supreme Court, which questioned whether the extensive disruptions meet the standard of proportionality and urged officials to minimize commuter inconvenience rather than enforce a blanket metro shutdown. Meanwhile, political reactions remain sharply divided.
Bharatiya Janata Party National Spokesperson Sanju Varma defended the administration's actions, citing statutory provisions under the Delhi Police Act and Article 246, while asserting that recent judicial observations did not constitute a formal restraining order. Conversely, former IPS officer Sanjay Sahay questioned the proportionality of the response, suggesting the lockdown extends well beyond standard law-and-order protocols.
Speaking at a media conclave, CJP representatives condemned the widespread detentions, transport cancellations, and troop deployments from other regions. Organizers argued that Article 19 of the Constitution guarantees the right to peaceful assembly, accusing Delhi Police of shutting down dialogue and attempting to suppress democratic dissent while maintaining that their agitation against the Election Commission will proceed.