DELHI POLICE BUILDS PROTESTER WATCHLIST, TRACKS ONLINE GROUPS AND VISITS HOMES AHEAD OF JANTAR MANTAR DEMONSTRATION
October 9, 2026
Delhi Police has reportedly compiled a database of people expected to participate in the October 10 protest at Jantar Mantar and is coordinating with law enforcement agencies across states to prevent potential demonstrators from reaching the national capital. The preparations have drawn attention to the scale of surveillance and preventive policing ahead of a planned demonstration by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and student organisations.
According to reports, police personnel in several states have contacted potential participants, questioned them about their travel plans and visited their homes ahead of the protest. Some individuals have alleged that these interventions were intended to discourage them from travelling to Delhi, while supporters and organisers have raised concerns about restrictions on peaceful assembly.
The surveillance reportedly extends to social media platforms and online networks used to mobilise demonstrators. Delhi Police has identified at least 200 WhatsApp and Instagram groups allegedly being used to organise participation from different parts of the country. Its cyber unit is monitoring online discussions, while police are keeping watch over key organisers, members of the CJP's core team and their associates.
Students, young people, individuals who have participated in previous public movements and people discussing plans to attend the demonstration are among those reportedly receiving scrutiny. Police are also coordinating with state intelligence agencies and monitoring transport networks to identify people travelling towards the capital.
The Union Home Ministry has directed states and Union Territories to activate preventive measures in coordination with Delhi Police. The Centre has cited intelligence inputs suggesting that CJP supporters intended to enter Delhi despite prohibitory orders. Officials have also referred to disruptions to public order and damage to public property during previous demonstrations as reasons for heightened preparations.
Several individuals have reportedly alleged that they received telephone calls from police officers asking whether they intended to attend the protest. Others claimed that police personnel visited their residences and attempted to dissuade them from joining the demonstration. Independent journalists and digital content creators have also alleged that they were contacted about their plans to cover the event, with some claiming that the calls were intended to prevent them from travelling to Delhi.
The proposed demonstration comes amid a broader confrontation over electoral transparency and demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The CJP and associated student groups have sought to mobilise supporters in the national capital, while the authorities have tightened security and imposed restrictions ahead of the proposed gathering.
Delhi Police has denied permission for the October 10 protest, citing alleged violations of conditions imposed during an earlier demonstration, as well as concerns about law and order and traffic management. The organisers' plans have consequently become the focus of an escalating dispute over protest restrictions and the state's response to political mobilisation.
The extensive monitoring of potential participants, including online activity and reported visits to private homes, has placed the balance between preventive policing and citizens' freedom to assemble under renewed scrutiny. While authorities have invoked public-order concerns to justify their preparations, allegations that prospective protesters are being discouraged from attending have intensified the debate over the limits of police intervention before a demonstration takes place.
