New Delhi: Delhi Police have intensified security measures across the national capital and the surrounding region, restricting public gatherings and detaining political figures who attempted to stage demonstrations at Jantar Mantar. The crackdown occurred as opposition parties gathered to demand the removal of the Chief Election Commissioner.
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee was among those taken into custody alongside party members of Parliament, including Dola Sen, Derek O'Brien, and Saket Gokhale. While inside a police detention van, Banerjee staged a symbolic protest by placing a band-aid across her mouth to highlight what she described as the suppression of political dissent and unlawful detention.
The police intervention follows a series of daily protests organized by opposition parties across central Delhi that began on October 6. These demonstrations have included sit-ins and marches originating from high-profile locations such as Connaught Place and Raj Ghat.
In addition to the high-profile detentions, Left-affiliated student and worker organizations, such as the All India Students' Federation and members associated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist), held demonstrations outside the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters and other central areas. Authorities maintained a heavy deployment of police and paramilitary personnel to enforce barricades, restrict public assembly, and process ongoing detentions to maintain law and order.