Bengaluru, Oct 11, 2026 14:07 IST
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has criticized the handling of the CJP protest in New Delhi, questioning the central leadership about whether genuine democracy still exists in the country or if an Emergency-like environment has taken hold. His remarks followed the mass detention of over 7,000 demonstrators, which authorities used to block a planned assembly at Jantar Mantar on Saturday.
The demonstration had been organized to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Ahead of the event, Lutyens' Delhi was placed under heavy security, with over 30,000 personnel deployed and extensive barricades set up to prevent participants from reaching the designated protest site, leaving the area deserted.
Shivakumar described the detentions—which included CJP figure Abhijit Dipke, four former chief ministers, and online creator Dhruv Rathee, with some individuals intercepted directly at the airport—as a profound embarrassment for the nation. He emphasized that citizens retain a fundamental democratic right to express dissent and raise their concerns, asserting that authorities should facilitate meetings with the Election Commission rather than attempt to silence the public.
Public figures must be willing to face scrutiny and acknowledge mistakes when they occur, Shivakumar noted, characterizing the heavy-handed response as an act of cowardice. Addressing why the Congress party did not join Saturday's demonstration, he clarified that organizers had not consulted them, though he acknowledged that some INDIA bloc allies chose to participate independently.
Announcing plans for an independent demonstration, Shivakumar stated that Congress lawmakers were gathering in the national capital to advocate for voting rights. He alleged that voters, particularly from Dalit, minority, and backward classes, were being systematically removed from electoral lists for political advantage, pointing to similar issues observed during Karnataka's Special Intensive Revision. Condemning these actions as authoritarian rather than democratic, he vowed that his party would continue its efforts to safeguard the electorate.