CJP’S SECOND-DAY DEFIANCE MEETS FRESH POLICE DETENTIONS AS SUPREME COURT STEPS IN OVER DELHI CRACKDOWN

October 11, 2026

The confrontation over the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) proposed demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar intensified on Sunday as protesters again attempted to march towards Jantar Mantar, prompting fresh detentions despite a Supreme Court intervention seeking to protect peaceful assembly and restore normal public movement in the national capital.

The Supreme Court directed the authorities to ensure that people were not illegally detained for peacefully assembling, that Metro and railway services operated normally, and that internet facilities remained undisturbed in accordance with the law. The court also emphasised that the free movement of people and traffic should be permitted and that lawyers and journalists must not be obstructed from performing their professional duties.

The intervention followed Saturday’s sweeping security operation, during which more than 7,000 people were reportedly detained across Delhi as police attempted to prevent the CJP’s planned demonstration. The party had called the protest to demand Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and concerns relating to voter registration. Police had refused permission for the gathering, citing procedural requirements and public-order concerns.

Despite the extensive restrictions, the CJP announced that its agitation would continue. On Sunday, security personnel detained several demonstrators marching towards Jantar Mantar from Connaught Place’s Inner Circle and Rajiv Chowk. Among those detained was CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas, who had also been detained during Saturday’s protest. Workers associated with the Students’ Federation of India, All India Students’ Federation and All India Youth Federation were also detained while demonstrating in Connaught Place.

The renewed mobilisation came after CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and party leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were released by an executive magistrate on Sunday morning following nearly 24 hours in custody. Their release was subject to a condition that they maintain peace and good behaviour for one year, with a surety bond of ₹50,000 furnished for that purpose. YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, who had been detained at his Gurugram residence ahead of the protest, was released late on Saturday night.

At a press briefing after their release, Ranka and Das accused Delhi Police of violating due process. Ranka alleged that they had been forcibly taken from their aircraft after it landed in Delhi, describing the incident as a “kidnapping” rather than a lawful detention. Das claimed that police had seized their mobile phones without providing a formal seizure notice and had prevented them from contacting a lawyer. The allegations have not been independently established.

Das also expressed concern that the phones, which he said had remained in police custody for approximately 24 hours, could have been accessed or compromised. He alleged that information might be manipulated or planted on the devices and subsequently used as evidence against the party. These remain allegations made by the CJP leadership, and no independent confirmation of phone cloning, hacking or evidence planting was presented in the reported briefing.

The party’s leaders accused the government of creating an atmosphere of fear and compared the situation with the Emergency imposed in 1975. Das alleged that the authorities were using force against citizens exercising their democratic rights, while Ranka questioned who would be held accountable for the large number of detentions. CJP founder Dipke, who was returning to Maharashtra following his grandmother’s death, separately criticised the disruption caused by the security measures and questioned why ordinary residents had been inconvenienced on such a scale.

The Supreme Court’s intervention also prompted the removal of barricades outside its premises after lawyers raised concerns about access. The court recorded assurances that lawyers and journalists would not be prevented from carrying out their professional duties. Its directions sought to balance legitimate security requirements with the need to preserve public access, freedom of movement and the ability of citizens to assemble peacefully.

Delhi’s public transport returned to normal operation on Sunday, with Metro stations open and trains running according to schedule. This followed restrictions that had affected dozens of stations for approximately 25 hours and the cancellation or delay of more than 250 local and long-distance train services on Saturday. The disruptions had caused substantial inconvenience to passengers travelling through the capital.

Meanwhile, CJP organiser Ajinkya Shinde urged supporters to continue the campaign, declaring that the party would neither retreat nor be intimidated. The organisation reiterated its demand for Kumar’s resignation and said its protest would continue until the concerns it had raised over electoral-roll revision were addressed.

The BJP and supporters of the government have defended the security operation on public-order grounds, arguing that the authorities were entitled to prevent an unauthorised gathering that could disrupt the capital. Opposition parties, however, have accused the government of suppressing dissent and have questioned whether the scale of the restrictions was proportionate to the anticipated threat.

The second day of demonstrations has therefore shifted the dispute beyond the original demand concerning electoral transparency. The Supreme Court’s intervention, the fresh detentions and the CJP leaders’ allegations have brought preventive policing, procedural safeguards and the protection of peaceful protest to the centre of the national debate. With the party vowing to continue its mobilisation and the opposition planning further demonstrations, the confrontation over the Election Commission and the limits of state power remains unresolved.